The Indecent Proposal
by ReadingIsForNerds
Summary: Bella is engaged and is planning to start a business with Jake. When the bank loan falls through and threatens her happily ever after, Edward Cullen enters the picture and offers them startup money in exchange for Bella spending a month with him. Fighting against her lust and growing feelings for Edward, she struggles to decide what she truly wants. E B. Rated M for later lemons.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

* * *

"This looks incredible, Alice," I say as I spin in the mirror. The dark blue cocktail dress falls to just above my knees and hugs my every curve. It's sleeveless with a healthy plunge in the neckline showing just the right amount of cleavage. Sexy, but not slutty.

Granted, I fill it out more than my friend with a bit of spillage over the neckline and it's tighter around the hips, it's not like I have any better options out of my closet made up of clearance rack items.

"I just knew it would," Alice replies with an appreciative nod. "And may I also say that I have taught you well in my ways. Your hair and makeup look perfect."

"Well, I was bound to learn something after the million times you've played dress up with me over the years." I run my hands over my long brown hair, my fingers dipping in the curves of the soft curls. It stops just below my shoulder blades. "I'm just so glad that it's finally grown out. The next time I think I can pull off one of those short trendy hairstyles that you do, slap me."

Alice smiles with a little chuckle at my statement. "Duly noted."

I turn and look at the clock on the nightstand and notice the time. "Jacob should be home soon." I'm excited but not excited at the same time. Jacob is taking me somewhere 'fancy' tonight as he described it.

Jacob got word yesterday that the bank approved the loan that we applied for to open his own auto shop. It's not as much money as he had hoped for but it's still enough to get the ball rolling. Tonight, we are driving all the way to Seattle to celebrate.

"I just wish he would tell me where we are going," I say with an exasperated heave. "He's being so damn cryptic, and he knows I hate surprises."

"I bet he is taking you to that fancy restaurant downtown. You know, the one that George Clooney was seen at last week." Alice's eyes turn all dreamy as a goofy smile spreads her lips wide. "I've been in love with him since I was fifteen."

All I can do is roll my eyes and throw a pillow at her. "There is no way that we'd ever get in there."

"But Jacob heard you talking it about it with your mom over the phone and he was asking me about it and a bunch of other places this morning…." Alice stops mid-sentence as she realizes that she's said too much.

I can't help it. My eyes widen. "What?! He's really taking me there?! Are we staying at the hotel that's above it too?"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure but you know I'm never wrong about these things and my gut is telling me that is where you are going. I'm psychic, remember?"

"Yeah. Sure, you are." I can't help but laugh. "And I'm the Queen of England."

"Why does no one take me seriously about that?" Alice grumps under her breath as I stand and start to head out of my and Jacobs tiny rental home. It's a yellow two-bedroom, one bath, cinder block house built in the 1940s. It's isn't much, but I don't care. I never have. It's where I am living with the man I have loved since I was seventeen and I just know that I couldn't be happier.

We have been together since I was 17 and he was 16. He pursued me relentlessly until I finally gave into him. In my mind, it was the best decision I've ever made.

I follow behind Alice to the front door and smile as my best friend spins around to look at me with a stern glare. "Remember the rules."

I can't help but roll my eyes again. It's the thing I seem to do most around Alice. "Don't spill anything on it because it costs more than my soul. If it rains, I'd better have an umbrella handy. And finally, you nasty perv, don't get any cum on it."

"And why do we have the last rule?" Alice asks when she notices the exasperation on my face.

"Because of senior prom…..SEVEN YEARS AGO! You are just never going to let that go, are you?"

"Nope. When I went to hang it back up in my closet…." Alice shudders at the memory, "…I touched Jacob's love spot!" we both finish in unison. I've heard that line so many times over the past 7 years, I have dreams about her saying it.

"I was eighteen and it was our first time. Accidents were bound to happen." I shrug nonchalantly.

Alice narrows her eyes at me for a moment before we both break out with a smile and laugh. "Thanks again for letting me borrow this dress."

"Anytime," Alice calls over her shoulder before hopping in her Jaguar.

I smile as I think about how we've been best friends since I moved here despite our very different upbringings. Myself, the daughter of our small town's police chief, was not the most fortunate on the financial side of things. Alice, on the other hand, was the only daughter of a family that came from old money. She's never had to want for a single thing in her life unlike me. My single father had to scrimp and save every month to survive.

It's only a few minutes before I hear Jacob pull up in the driveway. I hurry to ready myself, standing and smiling a sultry smile with my hip poked out sexily and wait for him to come in the house to get me.

When he opens the door, he's holding some grocery store flowers and is wearing the only suit he has. He told me he was going to take a shower and get dressed at the shop and I'm glad that he did because the sight before me is to die for. The black of the suit contrasts wonderfully with his dark skin and hair while the white button-up shirt, sans a tie, matches his radiant smile.

His brows raise to his hairline when his eyes land on me. After his eyes rake down and then up my body very slowly, he sighs. "Wow." He says breathily. "You look…incredible."

"You don't look too bad yourself," I tell him, a coy smile on my painted red lips. "Those are beautiful. Are they for me?" I nod to the flowers in his hand.

"Of course." He moves to me in a millisecond and claims my mouth in a bruising kiss. "But they don't hold a candle to you."

I smile and reach for them in his hand. "Thanks so much, love. They're beautiful. I don't know how I got so lucky to have a fiancée that still brings me flowers after eight years of being together."

"You know I am never going to stop wooing you. I gotta keep you somehow with all the men in town constantly waiting for me to blow it with you somehow. I have to make sure you don't wise up and leave my ass."

"Never," I whisper as I lean in and kiss him slowly. He groans and pulls back just as the kiss turns more desperate. "As much as I would love to peel this dress off of you right now, we need to go if we are going to make it."

"And where would that be exactly?" I ask him.

"Nope." He replies, popping the p sound. "Not gonna tell you."

I act like a two-year-old and groan, throwing my head back. "You're killing me, Jake."

"No, I'm wooing you." He says. "Now, let's go so I can show you off in that dress." He grabs the overnight bag I packed for us and leads me out of the house.

Three hours later, we are driving through downtown Seattle as I look around at all the sights. It looks like the fancy part of town and I can't help but begin to get nervous. Jacob always tells me that I deserve the best in life and swears that he will give it to me one day.

But looking around at all of the fancy apartment lobbies and the Mercedes and Bentley's passing by, I'm worried. We aren't rich by any stretch of the imagination, the old Toyota Corolla we are in is proof enough of that, and I'm sure that whatever he has planned is going to cost upwards of a paycheck or two.

"Jacob, where are we going?" I ask as another Bentley rolls by.

His smile is huge as he glances at me, the car slowing to a stop. "Right here."

I whip my head around and look up seeing nothing but a tall skyscraper and my brows furrow in confusion. "Huh?"

He chuckles at me and nods across the street. "There. We are going _there_."

My brows raise high with my surprise. "There? We're going there?!" Once again, Alice is right. It's the restaurant we have been talking about since it opened. It's supposed to be one of the best along the west coast and it's definitely out of our budget.

"Nothing but the best for my girl," Jacob says with a smile as he makes a U-turn and pulls up to the valet.

"Jacob. We can't afford this." I hiss at him as we wait in line for the valet to get to our old car.

"Don't worry about it." He says with a comforting smile. "Let me worry about the money. We are here to celebrate the start of the Black Automotive empire." I can't help but smile at him and the surety in his voice. "Every rags to riches millionaire starts out with one store and then builds from there. Now that we have the financing to start, I wanted to give you a taste of your future life."

As much as I want to tell him I am perfectly happy with eating at the local diner and how worried I am about the money, I just can't bring myself to tell him that and dampen his mood. He's clearly excited about taking me here and I'm not going to ruin it by telling him I have never cared about eating at fancy restaurants and having expensive things. All I've ever cared about is him and that we have a roof over our heads and making his dreams come true.

I reach across the car and give him a lingering kiss. "Okay then. Let's go eat snails and other fancy shit like that."

He barks out a loud laugh. "God, I love your potty mouth."

"I can't help it. I've worked in an automotive repair shop since I was sixteen." I tell him.

The valet reaches us then and my door is opened for me. He helps me out of the car as his nose scrunches at the Corolla. Looking around, I notice that he's not the only one with their noses upturned at the car. One lady even looks at me and the car as if it were a disgusting bug and she was in search of a can of bug spray. She looks up and down the front of the restaurant as if she is expecting someone to come out and tell us poor people to leave.

Feeling extremely self-conscious, I let my hair fall around my face.

"Hey," Jacob whispers as he threads his fingers with mine. "Ignore them. Our money spends just like theirs does."

I take a deep breath and look over to him. Looking into his eyes, I completely forget about everyone else. The confidence he is radiating is reassuring and I borrow some of it from him.

Giving him a subtle nod, we walk into the restaurant and it's _beautiful._

The walls are a dark blue, almost black, while rows of modern glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Fractured prisms of dull light break from the chandeliers and create the most beautiful and mesmerizing patterns on the walls and on the people sitting below them. Wine glasses clink together over at the bar while the sound of forks clanging lightly against the fine white china fills the dining area.

Oh, and the smell. It's absolutely _mouthwatering._ Hints of basil and tomatoes mixed with seared meat assault my nose. "Wow." I breathe out and a brief giggle escapes my lips.

"Tell me about it," Jacob says as he surveys his surroundings. When he looks back to me, there is a happiness there that I rarely see. It's the look he gives when he knows he is about to have a good meal.

The man is obsessed with food.

He tugs on my hand and pulls me to stand behind another couple who are waiting to speak with the hostess. "Do you have a reservation?" I ask him nervously, although deep down, I already know the answer. He's never understood how these sorts of things work; a nice restaurant that requires a reservation to get in. He's just a small-town guy with big dreams and has never even left the state of Washington and has no desire to.

"No. But it's a Wednesday night. I'm sure they have a table somewhere." He answers.

 _I knew it._

A knot forms in my stomach. This place is booked months in advance. There is no way that we will be able to get a table and there is a chance that Jacob will make a scene because of that. His temper is something that will occasionally get the better of him when things don't go his way. Looking over at him and his excited smile as his eyes scan the room, I just can't bring myself to tell him that we won't get in.

Why does he have to be so clueless sometimes?

When I look back to the couple in front of us is when I feel a heavy set of eyes on me. A warm feeling spreads through me as I look to the back of the restaurant where the sensation is coming from. It's like a magnet forces my eyes there. It doesn't take me long to lock eyes with the person who is staring at me.

Goosebumps raise over every part of my body as my brown eyes meet his and I'm trapped. My mouth parts just a little as he scoots forward in his seat and leans like he is about to stand; like he is about to run towards me. My heart jumps into my throat when I see from my peripheral vision his lips form the word, "Wow." His bronze hair catches a stream of light then and causes me to look over the rest of him. With a sharp intake of breath, I realize that he is breathtakingly _gorgeous._

His high cheekbones look like they were sculpted by Michelangelo himself and his jawline is something I've only ever seen on the pages of a magazine. The modern blue suit that looks like it costs at least ten thousand dollars clings flawlessly to his perfect form. I can see that whoever he is sitting with is talking but he clearly isn't listening.

By the time my eyes make it back up to his, they are smoldering at me and my breathing has become irregular. His green eyes seem to pin me to the spot and the feeling of being mentally undressed causes me to shiver. Saliva builds in my mouth as I tuck my bottom lip under the top row of my teeth in an effort not to moan.

I almost jump out of my skin when Jacob tugs me forward. I break away from his stare and look to my fiancée, glad and upset at the same time to be free from _him_.

The hostess looks up from her tablet and gives Jacob and me a tight smile. "Name?" she asks.

"Black," Jacob says with a smile.

The hostess looks back down to her tablet and swipes her finger across the screen. "I don't see any reservation under that name."

"That's because we don't have one," Jacob says.

The hostess arches one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows at him before looking him up and down. "I'm sorry sir but we don't have anything available for this evening."

"It's a Wednesday night," Jake says with a hint of exasperation. "Surely you have something available. A table by the kitchen, maybe?"

"This restaurant is booked solid for the next three months. Maybe you could come back and try your luck then?" she responds with another raised brow and finality in her voice.

Not wanting his temper to get the best of him, I grab his arm and lean in to whisper in his ear. "Jacob, let's just go somewhere else." I offer as I turn to him. I bring the hand that isn't holding his arm and place it on his chest. "It's fine."

"No, it's not." He replies with a tight, yet quiet voice. "I want this night to be special."

"It already is," I tell him honestly with a smile. "I got to put on this nice dress and we get to spend the night in the city. Let's just eat somewhere else. There are plenty of nice restaurants in Seattle."

A light pink color flushes in his cheeks. Whether it is from anger or embarrassment, I'm not sure. "It's fine. Really, it is." I assure him with a soft smile and a pleading look in my eyes.

He releases a long sigh and then finally nods his head as we turn around and head back towards the door.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Jake says as he opens the door for me.

"Don't apologize." I squeeze his hand in reassurance as he digs the valet ticket out of his pocket. He doesn't respond as he looks out at the street. I can tell he is upset and I hate that. Silence stretches between us and it's so uncomfortable. I can feel the anger starting to radiate off him. He's always been quick to anger but I am able to calm him down most of the time.

"Screw these snooty bitches. Why don't we just drive around the city for a while? Maybe find a place to park?" I suggest as I lean into him, my teeth grazing his neck as I try to distract him.

"Excuse me." A female voice says a little loudly from behind us. We both turn to see the hostess looking a little frazzled before relief floods her features as she sees us. "It seems we just had a table open up."

We both look to each other and smile. "I told you they'd have a table open." He tells me and spins me back around.

We're both smiling as we are ushered back into the restaurant. We follow the hostess past the front of the restaurant and all the way to the back. The area we are pulled to is much quieter and secluded and we are quickly brought to a small table set for two.

Jacob and I sit as the hostess says, "I'm sorry about the confusion."

"Don't worry about it, doll," Jacob says as he takes the two proffered menus.

As he flips one of the menus open, I watch as the hostess walks over to the man that was staring at me earlier. He holds out a folded-up wad of cash between his middle and forefinger and the hostess takes it with eager hands. He mouths a "Thank you." to the hostess before his eyes move to me suddenly.

And once again, I'm pinned to the spot. Now that he's so much closer, only a few tables away, I can see just how green his eyes are. Almost like emeralds.

The hair on the back of my neck stands up as the weight of his gaze slides slowly over the length of my body. I drop my eyes to the table. Thankfully the waiter shows up before his eyes are able to pull mine back. "What could I get you two started with this evening?" he asks.

"Just a glass of merlot for me." He takes Jacob's order for a beer while I pick up the menu, still feeling the mystery man's eyes on searing into my side. "Where are the prices?" My eyes scan over the menu one more time to search for any numbers, but I don't find any.

"I said not to worry about the money." He says as he reaches across the table and takes one of my hands in his. "Tonight is about celebrating."

I take a deep breath and decide to try and do what he says and not worry about the money. If I have to put in a few extra shifts at the sporting goods store that is my second job, then I will, just to make him happy.

As expected, everything I put in my mouth was incredible. The meal practically melted on my tongue. The savory flavor of the filet mignon I ordered paired deliciously with the amazing merlot caused me to clean my plate. "That. Was. Incredible." I moan as I swallow the last bite.

"You don't have to tell me," Jacob says as he reclines into the chair back and pats his belly. I smile at my fiancée as the waiter shows back up.

"Are we ready for dessert?" he asks.

"Um, no thank you. I couldn't eat another bite. Just the check please." I say quickly, anxiety filling my mind once again as I worry about the prices.

As the waiter turns to leave, I feel _him_ again, for the millionth time tonight. I sneak a peak to my right and sure enough, he is staring at me. It's been happening all night. I've barely had a moment where I _didn't_ feel his eyes boring into me. The man he was with left a long time ago and since then, he's just been sitting there, drinking water and looking between me and his phone.

And if I were honest with myself, I'd have to admit that I didn't mind all that much. It's almost turned into a game where he would look at me, I would somehow sense it, and then I would look at him with a shy smile. His attention is intoxicating.

Blush paints my cheeks as I look away and back to Jacob. The waiter reappears and hands him their check. "Have I told you how incredible you look tonight?" Jacob says to me as he opens the check.

"Only a thousand times," I answer him just as a look of dread washes over his face. I lean forward towards him. "What is it, Jake?"

"It's as much as one month's rent." He says in a shocked voice.

"What!" I whisper-yell at him.

"This can't be right." He murmurs to himself. He pulls his chair out and stands. "I'm going to go make sure they didn't give us the wrong check."

I watch as he walks away and he runs a hand through his hair nervously.

 _I should have insisted that we go somewhere else.,_ Runs on repeat through my head.

"Excuse me, miss." A deep, smooth voice says from my side where I can feel heat radiating from and warming my body. I look up to see _him_ smiling the most panty-dropping smile I've ever seen. "I couldn't help but come over here and say hello since we've been exchanging looks all evening."

"That's because you won't stop staring at me," I say back to him. I meant it to be snarky but instead, it comes out breathy and light, betraying my true feelings of attraction toward him. My fingers move to spin the small diamond solitaire engagement ring I've been wearing for four years now. That's what I've been doing all night when my mind would start to get carried away with itself as I looked at _him._

"That's because you are truly the most _beautiful_ woman I've ever laid my eyes on." He replies smoothly, catching me off guard with the sincerity of his voice.

I have to pinch the back of my hand to bring myself back to reality before the blush on my cheeks can spread further. "Thank you. I'm sure my fiancée thinks that too." I glance over at Jacob whose brows are furrowed as he speaks with the manager.

He doesn't miss a beat as he grins and holds out his hand. "I'm Edward Cullen."

"Bella," I reply and take his hand. I have to stifle a gasp as tingles run up from my fingertips when our skin connects. "Isabella Swan."

"Nice to meet you, Isabella."

The way my name sounds as it rolls out of his lips is sinful, almost like he is making love to my name with his voice.

 _You're engaged! ,_ I scream at myself.

Thankfully, he releases my hand. "I hope you enjoyed your meal." He says as his eyes travel over me.

"It was great."

"What is it you do for a living, Bella?"

Ugh. He said my name _again_ like _that_. I'm about ready to drag my nails up my thighs to stop the sensation from building in my core.

Suddenly, Marvin Gaye's _Let's Get It On_ starts on a loop in my mind for some crazy reason.

 _You love your fiancée! Direct the conversation back to him._

"I work in retail and am three weeks from graduating with a law degree. My fiancée just got approved to open his own auto mechanic's shop from the bank. That's why we are here tonight. We're celebrating."

"Then I believe a congratulation is in order." He replies with a bright smile.

There's….nothing wrong….with me….loving you! _Shut up, Marvin Gaye._

"What is it that you do?" I ask him just as he looks as if he is about to turn away. I'm not sure why but I don't want him to leave quite yet.

"I'm a business investor." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a business card and hands it to me. I look back up to him and nod. "Well, I wouldn't be lying if I were to say that I wish we were meeting under different circumstances."

"And what circumstances would those be?" I ask him.

By the look on his face, this is exactly what he wanted me to say. "Ones where you weren't engaged."

My heart leaps into my throat and tingles run up my spine. I look away as blush blossoms across my face again and a smile pulls at one side of my lips.

"It was very nice speaking with you Bella, Isabella Swan. I hope the rest of your evening is a beautiful as you are." He gives me one last wistful look-over before turning and walking towards the front. I watch him the whole way, even when he stops the hostess and whispers something in her ear as he points to someone.

I follow his line of sight and realize that he is pointing at Jacob whose face is starting to redden with anger while he argues with the manager.

Just as I begin to stand up, planning to run interference for my hot-headed fiancée, the hostess walks over and takes the bill from Jacob's hands. There is a confused look on his face for a moment followed by a few questions and then relief floods his face.

My eyes cut back to _him_ , Edward Cullen, to see him walking out of the door, glancing back to smile at me one more time before letting the door fall shut.

Jacob appears seconds later and grabs his coat off the back of his chair. "What's going on?" I ask him.

"We just hit the jackpot, that's what." He tells me as he motions for me to get up.

"Huh?"

"The hostess lady walked up to the manager and said that some guy paid for our meal."

"Really?!" I exclaim as he grabs my hand and starts to pull me along.

"Yep. Let's get the hell out of here before they charge us for breathing their rich people air." He says with a chuckle as we pass through the doors.

Once out in front of the restaurant, I see _him_ slip into the driver's seat of a very expensive foreign car. Jacob lets out a low whistle as the car buff he is notices it. "Baby, would you get a look at that." He says to me. "That's an Aston Marten One-77. It's worth over a million dollars."

My eyes go wide with surprise just as the engine revs a few times and then he is speeding off. It takes me a good 15 seconds before I am able to take a deep breath again, finally feeling free of his heavy gaze for the first time tonight.

Except now, I suddenly feel cold and a shiver rips through my whole body.

"Whoa. Are you cold?" Jacob asks, removing his jacket and draping it over my shoulders.

"Yeah. Something like that." I answer him as he hands the valet his ticket. Meanwhile, Edward Cullen's business card with his personal number written on the back of it in pen burns a hole in my clutch.

* * *

 _Hello! This is my first Twilight fanfiction story and I am really excited about it! I have been writing for the Mortal Instruments series for a couple of years now but I have decided to try my hand at Twilight to see how I do. So, please review and tell me what you think. Thanks!- **ReadingIsForNerds**_

 _Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns the characters I use. No copyright infringement is intended as I play with them._

 _ **Don't forget to follow and review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

"Yeah! I got it!" I shouted, running for the phone. "Joe's Automotive, how may I help you?" I put a finger in my other ear, trying to drown out the sound of the air drill that is being used by Jacob. "Yes, ma'am. Just bring it right in and we'll have a look at it for you. Okay. Bye."

Setting the phone down, I pulled the elastic band out of my hair and ran my fingers through my long locks, trying to get rid of the headache the weight of my ponytail had given me. It had been two days since we had gone to Seattle and I had been going non-stop since then. Unfortunately, today had not exactly been the best and only added to the stress I already felt. The phone has been ringing off the hook at the shop and now I have to hurry over to Newton's for my second job, that I am already late for, and try to find some time study for my final at the end of next week.

I smiled to myself with that thought. I have been in college since I was eighteen and now, I'm _finally_ going to be done. It has taken me 7 years of continuous school, even during the summers, to obtain my law degree online and at the local college twenty minutes away. Of course, it hasn't helped that I could only afford around two classes a semester. I refused to rack up tens of thousands of dollars in student debt that would take me twenty years to pay back.

Just as I grabbed my bag, the phone rang again. I thought about just leaving it but huffed when I thought about how slow business the past week had been even though the phone had been more than busy. "Dammit." I rushed back over to the phone and picked it up. "Joe's Automotive, how may I help you?"

My brows furrow deeply when someone asks for Mr. Jacob Black. "Um, yes, just a minute." I pushed the hold button and set the phone down. "Jake!" I called out, but he couldn't hear me. He still had that damn drill going. "Jake!" I yelled again and this time he heard me.

He looked up from where he was putting a tire on a truck and smiled at me. "You taking off?"

"Yeah, but there's someone on the phone for you. They asked for Mr. Black." I raise my brows in question, hoping he might know who would be calling him at work and using his name so formally.

Jacob just shrugged his shoulders and hurried over to the phone. "This is Jacob." He answers it as I decide that adding an extra minute or two to how late I already was wouldn't make that much of a difference. My curiosity had been peaked. I want to know what the phone call is about.

When Jacob remained quiet and turned away from the shop, pressing his palm over his free ear, I knew that it was a more serious call. "What?!" Jacob finally yelled in surprise. "Are you serious?"

I moved around to the front of him in the small area behind the desk of the shop to try and make eye contact with him. When I did see his face, his skin looked like it had lost five shades of its dark tone.

"But I didn't know! How was I supposed to know! I've always paid my bills on time! I've never been late on anything!" Jacob howls into the phone.

"What's going on?" I ask worriedly. When I try to place my hands on either side of the tops of his arms, he shrugs my hands off and spins around away from me. "Jake," I say sounding slightly hurt.

"Yes, but I didn't do it! He did it!" he says with frustration lacing every syllable. He goes quiet after that for a moment, listening to the man on the phone, before finally asking, "So, there is no way for you to reconsider? No way around this?"

Jacob is only holding the phone to his ear for another brief second before yanking it away and slamming it back down into the receiver.

I survey him for a few moments and see his fists clenched in anger and frustration while he is trying his best to control his breathing.

Slowly, very slowly, I reach out and place a hand on his forearm and tentatively step around him to stand in front of him. "Jake. What was that phone call about?" I ask quietly. It seems like everyone else in the shop has stopped after hearing him shout and see him shaking with anger.

"My stupid fucking cousin, Quil." He grits out. His eyes finally move to mine and I see pure anger pulsing through them. "The motorcycle he bought that I co-signed for; he defaulted on the loan. It was repossessed yesterday."

My eyes slowly close as I realize what has just happened.

"When the bank went to run my credit one last time, it popped up and now they won't give me the business loan."

The only thing that is running through my head right now is _I told you so_. I begged him not to co-sign for that motorcycle with Quil, knowing how irresponsible he is, but he did it anyway because he was family and there was _no way_ he would not tell him if he needed help with the payments. He just kept saying _"He's family."_ But telling him I told you so would not be wise right now.

"Babe," I whisper to his frozen form, his muscles pulled tight. "It's fine. We'll go to another bank and…."

"And what?" he snaps at me. "They will tell us the same damn thing that that guy just said. That repossession will be on my credit history for SEVEN YEARS! No one will give me a loan until it's gone!"

He snaps then and stretches his arms across the counter and knocks over a few stacks of papers and a basket of keys before he reaches for the phone and throws it across the room.

"Jake! Stop!" I yell at him, but he's too upset. He shoves off my hands as they try to touch him and then he is storming out of the shop. I know better than to follow him when he's this upset so I stay put and places my elbows on the counter, resting my head in my hands.

The reality of what has just happened starts to sink into me and sadness begins to overtake me. For as long as I've known him, all Jake has ever talked about is his dream to open his own auto shop and build it into something that would get him out of the poverty he's always known. He started working when he was thirteen to help support his family after his father was paralyzed and hasn't stopped since. It's one of the things I love most about him. His work ethic is something to be admired.

And now, just when he was about to get everything he has worked so hard for, it is taken away from him by someone else's actions.

A few tears have started to fall from my eyes now, but I don't care. His dream, _our_ dream, wasn't going to be happening any time soon and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

My phone rings, startling me because the shop was still deathly quiet, and I hurry to pull it out. When I look down at the screen and see that it's Newton's, I curse under my breath. I'm really late now and after the news I just got, we really can't afford for me to lose my second job.

Wiping my face dry with my sleeves, I pick up the keys and papers all over the floor before grabbing my bag and bolting out of the door and yelling, "Tell Jake I went to work!" I don't look into the shop so I can see Sam and Embry's curious or sympathetic faces. It would only make me even more upset.

I have to stave off the tears the whole way into work and fight the overwhelming urge to pick up my phone and call Quil and curse him into next week. I already tried to call Jacob five times but he isn't picking up his phone and it's likely that he won't for the rest of the evening.

By the time I pull up to Newton's and hop out of my old truck, I'm fifteen minutes late and Jessica is rushing out of the door. "Thanks a lot, Bella. Why do you have to be so damn lazy? I'm late for my date now."

Any other day, I would have let the comment roll off my back. But today, I was _not_ in the mood. "So that means that you'll only be able to put on two layers of makeup instead of three? Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can't hide the kind of ugly you are?" I point to Jessica's chest. "No amount of makeup can hide the evil bitch you are on the inside."

Jessica's face starts to turn the most vibrant red as her mouth opens and closes like a fish, struggling to breathe.

"That's what I thought," I say as I shove past her and barrel my way inside the store, pulling on my tacky hunter orange vest that is Newton's uniform.

To say that Jessica and I have bad blood between us would be an understatement. When I moved to Forks when I was sixteen, Jessica seemed nice and friendly and we became friends. Or so I thought. Six months after my arrival, I found out that Jessica had been telling everyone that I had confided in her that I had a plethora of STD's and I was sent to live with my dad because of my raging sex addiction and promiscuity. Apparently, she had told everyone that I had slept with over 30 different men and had 2 abortions.

None of it was true, of course, but that didn't stop the rumors that persisted for years afterward. Since then, Jessica had made my life a living hell any way she could think of and I was having none of it today.

When I finally clock in and get behind the counter, Mrs. Newton is glaring daggers at me. I give her a tight and apologetic smile and wait for someone to come in the door and ask me about tackle boxes.

I make it a full minute and a half before remembering the phone call back at the shop. I turn my body away from the store as my eyes begin to sting and pressure builds behind them. My heart hurts so much right now for my fiancée. It feels like his pain is mine and now I can't stop from letting tears roll silently down my face again.

All of our plans for our future have been wiped away in the span of only a couple of minutes.

It was always the plan for me to run the legal side of the business and handle liability and write agreement of services contracts and…

"Now what am I going to do with my degree?" I ask myself. I live in a tiny town with practically no opportunities for a lawyer. Yes, I had always wanted to be a lawyer. I was the daughter of a police chief and it had created a love for the law inside me, but there was always the knowledge that I would be my own boss and help the man I loved while doing it. We would build our future together, forever entwined with each other.

And now…..it was all gone.

Jacob would never move away from Forks and I would never ask him to. His father needs him too much and depends on our help, financially and physically. Billy can't afford to hire someone to help him and so it's always been me and Jacob who have had to do it after Jacob's sisters got married and moved away.

After a few more minutes of allowing myself to wallow in my own self-pity, I wipe my face dry and decide to stop my whining and be the rock that Jacob will certainly need. I close my eyes and whisper to myself, "It's okay. Everything is fine and it will work out somehow. It has to."

It was ten minutes past 10:00 when I walked in our front door. Jacob was sprawled across the length of our tiny couch with a half-drank beer in his hand and two pizza boxes on the coffee table. I could see that there were at least eight empty bottles that had been discarded on the floor already. There was a new stain on the old yellowing carpeting of their home from where a blob of pizza sauce had fallen out of the pizza.

When he looked up at me, his head swung heavily from side to side before he was able to hold it still. "I kicked Quil's ass." Jacob slurs out.

"Jake!" I chide him as I notice a few fresh cuts on the knuckles of his right hand. "Why would you do that? He's family."

"Not anymore he's not." Jacob shoves the rest of a slice of pizza in his mouth.

Knowing that it will do no good to argue with him in this state, I just huff and drop my bag on the floor by the door. Walking over to the couch, I stretch my body over the top of his and take the beer he's drinking for my own self. "Everything will work out somehow," I say quietly.

Jacob immediately stiffens beneath me and pushes me to sit up a little.

 _Apparently, that was definitely the wrong thing to say._

I raise myself up, bracing my hands on his wide chest, and look down at him confused. "No, it won't, Bella. For someone who is about to have a law degree, you're not that smart if you think that."

"What the fuck, Jacob?" I say back at him. Hurt runs fast and hard through me.

He wiggles until I am completely off of him and sitting on the couch where his legs just were. He plants his feet on the ground and looks over to me. "No one will give me a business loan, Bella! I called everywhere in the tri-county area and no one will touch me. Now, I'm stuck in a dead-end job in a dead-end town, destined to live like this," he gestures wildly at our old and tiny rental home, "for the rest of my fucking life!"

I narrow my eyes at him as my hurt morphs into anger. "I happen to not mind living here as long as I am with you. I couldn't care less about having money. That has always been your thing! Just as long as we have enough to pay bills is all that's mattered to me."

"My thing!" Jacob yells back, standing up and swaying a little. "Why are you trying to make me sound like the bad guy here for wanting to not live paycheck to paycheck and to be able to buy you nice things? I mean, we've been engaged for four years because we can't even afford to get married!"

"That's because you insist on having some big wedding. I've told you a _million times_ that I would marry you in a paper bag at the courthouse. I don't care about having a wedding and never have! You know I hate being the center of attention."

"But I don't want you to have to marry me at the courthouse. I want you to have the wedding of your dreams!" He shouts back.

"Ugh. You don't listen to me at all! I have never dreamed about having a big or small wedding and you know that. I'm not that type of girl. All I ever wanted was to just be your wife but every time I suggest going to the courthouse, you immediately shut it down."

"You know what," Jake says with a huff, "I don't need this right now." He turns around and grabs the remainder of the second six-pack he was working on and walks out the front door, slamming it behind him.

In the silence that follows his absence, I curse myself. I'm not quite sure how it happened but we had gotten into yet another fight about getting married when I had resolved myself to come home and be the supporting and loving fiancée he needed.

The worst part was he was right about the business. No one was going to loan him anything. Even trying to get approved to buy a house was now out of the question.

Suddenly feeling like I needed a long shower to wash away the day, I moved to our bedroom, taking off items of clothing as I went. When I was headed back out of our room with some pajamas in my hand, I caught a glimpse of the blue dress Alice had let me borrow when I went to Seattle.

I sucked in a sharp breath of air as I remembered that night and the mysterious, sexy stranger. Hurrying back over to my closet and digging out the clutch I carried that night, I opened it and fished out the business card _he_ had given me.

On the front, it said, **Edward Cullen. Investor/Entrepreneur**. There was an e-mail address and two phone numbers typed below, and on the back, there was another number, not one of the ones on the front. This one was written in ink.

 _He said he was a business investor_.

A wild idea suddenly pops into my head then. Part of me was screaming at me to do it while the other part of me was screaming that it was a really bad idea.

He had clearly been hitting on me and I was positive that he had been the one to get us a table at the restaurant and then paid for our meal. Running my fingers across the phone number he had inked on the back, I knew I would be playing with fire if I did what I was thinking.

But, on the other hand, if I didn't, there is no telling what my and Jacob's future would look like.

The question was, was I willing to play with fire just so I could ask him to invest in Jacob's dream of starting his own garage?

"Now that is something I will have to sleep on," I tell myself as I tuck the business card back into my clutch and hurry off to take a shower.

* * *

 _As always, thanks for reading and don't forget to **review** to tell me what you think! Up next, we get to briefly hear from Edward. Yay!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

* * *

I barely slept a wink. Billy called me an hour after Jacob left to tell me that he was at his place passed out on the couch. After hearing that he was okay, I studied for an hour unsuccessfully and then went to bed. My brain was running a million miles an hour from the time it hit the pillow to the time I fell asleep at four in the morning. When my alarm went off three hours later at seven, _he_ was the first thing that entered my mind.

I looked over at the nightstand where I had set the card and reached over to grab it. Flipping it over and looking at the number in ink I had already memorized caused a shiver to run through me, quickly followed by a feeling of guilt.

That's how it had been all night as I thought about calling him. Excitement followed by guilt. The pros and cons list I hastily scrawled out on the back of a gas bill runs through my mind again. The only problem was that some things were on both the pro and con side of the chart.

Like the fact that he was _gorgeous_. That was both good and bad. Just like the fact that I wanted to feel his eyes on me again.

"Ugh!" I growl as I kick the covers off my legs and get out of bed. Moving to the bathroom, I stop in front of the mirror as my hands rest on the sides of the sink. I look myself in the eyes and will myself not to blush when I think of _him._

I fail miserably.

"Shit." I curse at myself. "If only he weren't so damn beautiful then this would be the easiest decision."

I wouldn't have hesitated to call him up and ask for a meeting.

Just as that thought runs through my head, I make up my mind. "Fuck it. I'm going to call him. I can control myself and my thoughts."

 _This is for Jacob._

Moving back into my bedroom and grabbing my phone off its charger, I dial his number, not even looking at the card, having memorized every number last night. I briefly considered calling one of the numbers on the front of the card but was afraid that I'd just end up being another name on a list that would never get a call back.

So, I dialed the number he wrote on the back. It rings a total of four times before it is picked up.

"Hello."

 _Oh, God. His voice is like honey. And so deep._

I have to clear my throat before I can speak. "Um, hello. You might not remember me from the other night...I'm Bella Swan. I mean, Isabella...no, Bella Swan. The restaurant...in Seattle...you looked at me...there was a dress..."

I close my eyes and slap myself on my forehead. I sound like an idiot that can't speak instead of a lawyer. His deep voice seems to have caused my brain to fry.

"Of course, I remember you." He says back into the phone, his tone silky and smooth. "I'll never be able to forget you."

A shiver runs down my spine.

I have to shake my head in order to get my brain working again. "I'm calling because I'd like to see you." My eyes blow wide when my words register in my brain. "I mean, I'd like to set up a meeting with you. I have a proposition to make you." Unfortunately, my voice was heavy and deep when I said that last sentence. It sounded like I was talking about sex.

 _Oh god, I did it again._

"A business proposition!" I shout into the phone. "Not like the Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman type of business proposition, but like a real one." I sigh loudly and close my eyes.

 _Why do I have to be such a spaz?_

There is a soft and deep chuckle that comes from him. "I don't think you're a spaz." He says.

"Oh god. Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes. I'm afraid you did."

"And that's my cue to hang up now. I'm sorry I bothered you." Filled head to toe with embarrassment, my skin blazing hot from it, I pull the phone away from my ear.

Before I can press the 'end call' button, I hear his voice. "Wait, Miss. Swan. Don't hang up."

Hesitantly, I put the phone back to my ear. "Yes, Mr. Cullen."

"Please, call me Edward." He says, and I can hear the smile on his lips.

"Edward," I say, tasting his name on my lips. I like it.

"I believe I have a free slot open at seven o'clock this evening. I'm sure whatever _business_ proposition you have for me will be something I'd like to hear. Why don't we meet at the restaurant we met at on Wednesday at seven o'clock tonight?"

Excitement floods me. "Oh! I think that we can make that work." I say with a wide smile. "I'll tell my fiancée and we'll gather up the proposition for you. I promise you won't regret this."

"The opportunity to see you again could never be something I'd regret. Even if you are bringing your fiancée along." There is just enough amusement in his voice that it puts me at ease and stops me from calling off the meeting at his statement. He's probably just a big flirt and speaks that way with every woman just to get his way.

"Alright then. It's a date." My eyes go wide again. "I mean…it's a meeting!" I shout into the phone.

His deep laughter spreads warmth through me. "I can't wait." He says after a moment.

"I'll...we'll see you then," I say just before I hang up.

For a moment, I just sit there, replaying the conversation with him in my head. Every. Single. Embarrassing. Detail. I have to cover my face with my hands for a moment so that my embarrassment passes.

When it does, I pick up the phone and dial Billy's number with a huge smile on my face. I can barely believe that it worked. He agreed to meet with us, even if it were so that he could flirt with me some more. I would tolerate it for Jacob and our future.

Billy picks up the phone after a while and I practically yell into the phone. "Billy! I need to talk to Jake."

"He already left for work, Bella," Billy tells me with a hint of annoyance in his voice. It seems as if Jacob told his dad about their argument about them getting married.

"Okay. I guess I'll go see him there." I say as I hang up.

I hop out of bed and throw on the first clothes I grab and pull my hair up into a pony-tail, not wanting to take the time to run a brush through it to tame it.

The moment I am in my old truck, my smile falters. How am I supposed to explain how I got this meeting?

"Honestly," I answer myself. As much as Jake won't like the circumstances behind the meeting, I can only hope that he will appreciate the fact that there _is_ a meeting to be had. No matter how it came to be.

By the time I pull up at the auto shop and see Jake's old Corolla parked behind it, I've planned out most of what I will say. Hopefully, he will let me finish. He has always had a habit of interrupting me mid-sentence to add his thoughts to what I am saying.

Taking a deep breath, I open the door of my truck and head towards an open bay of the garage. When I come around the corner, I spot Jake under the same pickup truck he was working on yesterday. He looks over at me and sets down his tools, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Hey. You feeling better today?" I ask him. He shrugs and looks back up at the truck. "I'm sorry that our night got out of hand. I think we were both upset and that didn't help."

"No, it didn't," he says. "If you're here to suggest that we go to the courthouse and get married….don't."

I close my eyes and breathe deep. "That's not why I came here on my day off," I say, trying to direct the conversation away from the sensitive subject. He's obviously still mad about it. "I came to tell you some exciting news."

He huffs at me and rolls his eyes. "If it's anything other than us winning the lottery, then I highly doubt you have exciting news."

"Well, it's not exactly like winning the lottery. At least not yet." I let one side of my mouth twitch upwards lightly. I'm rewarded with a very confused look on his face. "Something happened at dinner the other night that I didn't tell you about."

He furrows his brows more at me and steps closer to me. "What are you talking about?"

"There was a guy, Edward Cullen, who was there and...well...he kind of hit on me when you were asking about the check."

"And how is this exciting news? Did you just come here to tell me this so you can let me know how many guys are lined up at the door?"

 _Yep. He's still angry._

"No. Just...let me finish," I ask of him. When he purses his lips tightly, I take it as my cue to continue. "I first saw him when we walked in the restaurant and I think he's the one who got us our table and paid for our meal."

Jacob's eyes narrow. "So, you're telling me this guy swooped in and did for you what I couldn't manage to do for you? And you're rubbing it in my face by telling me he did it because he thought you were hot?"

"My God, Jacob. Let me finish!" I yell at him. "I promise there is a point to this story."

He sweeps his arm out in front of him and bows lightly. "By all means then, finish."

I have to stamp down my anger before I continue. "When you were talking with the manager, he took that opportunity to come over and introduce himself and maybe find out what our relationship was to one another. While we were talking, he told me he was a business investor and gave me his card." I reach into my pocket and pull out the business card with Edward Cullen's information on it. Jake takes it from my hand and looks it over.

"When I was getting in the shower last night after you left, I remembered it and..."

"Why did you keep it, Bella?" he asks sternly. "Why didn't you just throw the card away or leave it on the table?"

"Jake! Shut up and let me finish the damn story!" I scream at him.

After spotting Sam trying to disappear in a corner of the shop, I take a second to calm myself. "When I got up this morning, I decided to try and give him a call to see if he would be interested in investing in a startup for Black Automotive since the bank loan fell through. I figured I could use his...fondness for me to our advantage. And you know what, _it worked_."

This has the power to stop the retort Jake had on his lips. "He agreed to a meeting with us at the same restaurant at 7 o'clock tonight."

"What?!" Jacob exclaims as his anger starts to dissipate. I watch as his features slowly morph into a bright smile and raised brows of surprise.

"Jake. He wants to hear the proposal for the garage we want to open. Isn't that exciting?!" I ask him again.

"Bella!" he finally screams and wraps his arms around me. He picks me up and swings me around. "I've never been happier to have such a hot fiancée than I am right now!"

I giggled excitedly as I wrapped my arms around his neck, glad that he seemed to forgive me for not telling him about Edward. When he sets me back down, we are both smiling widely. "We have to go home and get everything ready!" he says in a panic.

"I know it will put Joe in a bad position not having you hear today but..."

"Don't worry about it, Bella." Sam offers, stepping from the shadows. "I'll cover for him and I'll see if Paul wants to come in and make some extra money."

"You're the best, Sam," Bella says with a smile before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"As long as Jake remembers who taught him everything he knows about cars when he's a big shot, we'll be even." Sam jokes.

"You know you'll be coming along with me for the ride." Jake claps Sam on the back with a wide smile. "But right now, I had better go home and get all the business plans and mock-ups together."

"Everything should be right where we left it in the safe," I tell him. "I haven't messed with it since the bank meeting."

"Good. That just means that all I need to do is practice my pitch again."

"And I need to go see Alice for another dress," I say as I realize where we agreed to meet. "Shit. I didn't even think about that."

Jacob looks over to me with a half-smile. "Just make sure it shows off a little skin." He says with a laugh. "But not too much. I want him to be able to focus on my pitch."

"First you're mad that some rich guy hit on me and now you're telling me to show a little skin for him?" I ask with a quirk of my brow. My hands move to my hips as a bit of anger runs through me.

"Oh, come on, babe." He says moving towards me and wrapping his arms around my waist. "If we have a better shot at getting this guy to invest in my garage by you giving him a bit of a show, where's the harm in that? It's just one night."

"I don't know what to do or say with you, Jake. You can be so damn confusing sometimes. You were just so angry at me and the guy for giving me his card and hitting on me." I pull away from him and start to walk back out of the garage. "You go home and gather the paperwork. I'm going to call Alice and wake her up to ransack her closet. I'll be home when I'm done."

"Come on, Bella. I didn't mean it." Jake says from behind me with an amused tone.

I just reach up and flip him off. His jovial laugh can be heard as I get into my truck.

 _At least he's in a good mood now._

After waking up a very grumpy Alice and picking out the perfect dress, part two, with a matching shawl, I head home. It's a little red number that ends a couple of inches above my knees. The neckline is deep and similar to the little blue dress I wore the other night, causing my breasts to spill out slightly. The biggest difference in the dresses is that this one is completely backless. Two-inch straps hold up the dress over my shoulders and then they curve down my sides to make up the rest of the dress, leaving my back exposed to just where my dimples start above my ass.

 _If he wants me to dress like a piece of dumb arm candy, then I will._

Hours later, my hair and makeup are done and Jake has just finished putting his suit on. After making sure my hair hangs in perfect curls down my back, my eyes drift over to Jake by our bed. I can tell he's nervous because he keeps muttering to himself, going over and over his pitch. Reaching out to him, I rest my hand on his arm.

"Jake, you'll do great," I tell him sincerely. "We perfected the pitch months ago after so many drafts. Remember?"

"I know," he says nodding. He takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly. "What would I do without you? You are the one who wrote it. I've never been good at the whole talking thing. That's your area."

"You helped a lot. I wouldn't have been able to help you write it if it weren't for your dream for us."

He reaches up and cups my face in his large hands. "I'm sorry about last night. The beer certainly didn't help."

"I'm sorry too. I knew you were upset and drunk and I should have just let it go."

He gives me a wide smile and pulls me in for a quick kiss. "Hurry up and get dressed." He says when he pulls back. "We've got to leave in fifteen minutes."

He leaves me in the room and I slip on the dress. Adjusting my breasts to where they are sexy, not slutty and putting on some heels, I am fairly proud of the way I look. After wrapping my back and arms with the matching red shawl, I grab my clutch and make my way to find Jake grabbing his car keys with a handful of papers tucked under his arm.

He eyes me for a minute before nodding his approval. "You look great, Bella. Maybe pull your tits up some more?" He turns and leaves out of the door.

 _Are you fucking serious?_

"I guess he wasn't kidding about me showing some skin for the guy," I say to myself and follow after him.

Thanks to Jake's crazy driving, we arrive twenty minutes early. Nerves begin to stir in my belly as we wait in the line for the valet. Focusing on the beautiful colors of the sky caused by the setting sun, I control my breathing.

 _In. Out. In. Out._

 _Wait a minute. Why am I so damn nervous?_

 _Oh yeah. Because he happens to be one of the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen before._

"Why do you look so nervous?" Jake asks me. I look over to see him looking a little concerned.

"Because this is just such a big opportunity. I don't want to mess anything up."

"I know. I don't want to either." He says. "But, as long as I stick to the pitch I gave the bank, I think we should be okay."

"You're right. We have all of our ducks in a row. This should be a no-brainer for him."

"I agree," Jake says leaning across the car for a quick brush of his lips against mine.

After quickly adjusting myself and the dress when I step out of the car, tugging the shawl tighter around my back after a cold breeze, I follow Jake inside.

Once again, I am caught by the beauty of the place. Light still dances in prisms all around me from the soft light that filters through the chandeliers. The smell of the food is still just as good as it was a few days ago.

And just like last time I stood here waiting to talk to the hostess, I feel _his_ eyes on me.

His stare was like a magnet. My eyes immediately moved to his, finding him easily, staring directly at me. My heart rate picked up and all the hairs on my neck stood on end. When we locked eyes, I remembered why maybe it wasn't the best idea to get him involved.

A smile tugged the edges of his mouth and my breath caught in my throat.

"Bella." I heard my name being called and someone tugged on my hand. "Bella."

My name being called was more insistent this time and my hand was tugged on. Tearing my eyes away from _him_ , I looked to see Jake was looking expectantly at me.

"What?" I ask in a daze.

"What was that guy's name? Edward..." Jake asks.

"Cullen. Edward Cullen." I finish for him.

The hostess's eyes widen imperceptibly as she hurries to grab a couple of menus. "Right this way," she says brightly as she turns and walks into the restaurant.

Jacob follows behind her and I follow behind Jacob, staring at his back. It would do no good to look up at Edward as we approached. If I did, I'd probably trip over my feet with nervousness. Even now, when I can feel his gaze boring into me, my legs are barely able to put one foot in front of the other.

"I'm assuming you are Jacob Black?" His voice is still just as smooth and deep as it was on the phone this morning and the other day. I look up to see Jake reaching his hand out and shaking Edward's as we come to a stop at his table.

"I am," Jake says with a bit of surprise in his voice. "And you're Edward Cullen?"

"It's nice to meet you," Edward tells him, his eyes intent on my fiancée with a purely professional expression. That is until he looked over at me.

The green in his eyes visibly darkened. "It's so nice to see you again, Isabella." His hand reached out and I placed mine in his, his touch electrifying my skin. He brings his hand up to his lips and places a light kiss on my knuckles as he steps around the table to me.

Feeling Jacob's eyes on me, I pull back my hand and look down at the table. I can feel the heat in my cheeks from my blush.

"Please, take a seat," Edward says as he moves around behind me. "Here. Let me take your shawl for you."

I feel his fingertips graze against the tops of my shoulders as he slips his fingers under the soft red material. I release my grip on the shawl that is wrapped around my arms and as the first part of my back is exposed, he sucks in a small surprised breath.

Turning my head to the side towards him, I hear him whisper under his breath, "Wow.", as his fingertips graze down the middle of my back, just the feather of a touch. By the time they reach the dip of my lower back, goosebumps have raised over every inch of my skin.

"Ahh hem." Jacob clears his throat.

I look over to him to see the stern look on his face as Edward steps away from me slightly and pulls out my chair for me to sit. I sit as he slides the chair under me while Jacob sits and eyes Edward covertly.

As the waiter appears and asks Edward if there is anything he can get the table, Jacob leans over and whispers, "Maybe you should pitch it. He's barely looked at me." Thankfully, he chuckles a little bit letting me know that he's not too bothered by it.

At least not yet.

When Edward sits down across from me, Jacob goes into business mode. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us."

Edward just nods. "I was surprised to get a call from Bella this morning. I remember that she had told me that the two of you were celebrating getting a loan from the bank to start your own automotive business."

Jacob looks over to Bella quickly and smiles, obviously glad that I made Edward aware of him when he hit on me. "Yes, we were." Jacob's smile falls then as he looks back at Edward. "Things have changed since then, and not because of any actions on my part."

"I am aware of that," Edward says as he pulls out a tablet from a small pouch in a bag on the chair beside him. "I've already taken the liberty of doing a little research of my own."

Bella looks over to Jacob and sees the surprise on his face.

Edward pulls up something on the tablet and begins to read. "You've been working in an auto shop since you were fourteen to help take care of your father and sisters. You quickly became the best mechanic in the county in which you reside. You've had a slew of offers to work for other more profitable auto-mechanic shops for more money but turned them down to stay close to your father."

This deeply surprises me. We've often struggled dearly to pay our bills on too many occasions because of the small-town shop we work at. I suggested multiple times that he try to find work in the bigger town next to ours only twenty minutes away. Every time he agreed to do it, he came back and said that no one was hiring.

"You have nearly perfect credit and a loyal client base that refuse to take their vehicles to anyone but you. Bella has worked there alongside you and held down another job while paying her way through law school which is almost completed. Is there anything that I missed?" Edward asks as he sets down his tablet.

"Not that I can think of," Jacob says shaking his head.

Edward nods to the stack of papers Jacob piled on the table in front of him. "I'm assuming that is your business model and pitch for me?"

"It is," Jacob says as he slides the papers over to him and I reach to grab my phone. I pull up the powerpoint presentation that goes with Jacob's pitch and prop it up on the table, nodding for Jacob to start.

He speaks as Edward thumbs through the paperwork while glancing at the powerpoint presentation, a look of concentration on his face. A face that I can't take my eyes off of. I've only been half listening to Jacob and can only suspect that he is doing a good job because of the few nods Edward give him.

To my surprise, I am thoroughly disappointed that he doesn't look up to me once throughout Jacob's pitch. I know I shouldn't be disappointed, but I am.

When Jacob is finally done, Edward leans back in his chair and looks up at him. "This all sounds rather impressive. Why don't we have dinner and we can speak more afterward? I wasn't able to have lunch today and I'm quite hungry."

"That sounds like a good idea," Jacob says.

That is when Edward finally turns and looks at me. "So, how does it feel to be almost done with school?" There is a gentle smile on his perfect lips.

It causes me to squeeze my legs together.

"Well after 7 long years, it feels pretty good. I've worked hard and I'm ready to start practicing law."

"I also see that you are third in your class," Edward states with a smile. "That's rather impressive considering you have 2 jobs."

I blush lightly under his comment. "It hasn't always been easy but it's going to be worth it. I get to walk away from college debt free."

"Yeah, Bella is pretty incredible," Jacob states looking over at me. "She's kept me on the straight and narrow for the past 8 years."

"I hope I'm not taking you away from studying. I know the end of your term is coming up and you probably have finals to study for." Edward states as he seems to focus on me, barely acknowledging Jake's statement.

"I think I've studied enough already. Jake told me I've been reciting the textbook in my sleep for the past week." I laugh at myself and look down at the table.

"Well, with a record like yours, I'm sure you'll nail whatever test you have to take. I'd even put money on you passing the bar the first time you take it." Edward says with fondness.

His tone causes me to look back up to him. The tenderness in his eyes is disarming.

Attempting to pull Edwards attention away from me and back to him, Jacob jumps in. "That's because she's a genius."

"It also helps to have my father as chief of police. I grew up surrounded by the law and could probably recite penal codes backward."

"Is that why you decided to become a lawyer?" Edward asks.

"It's part of the reason," I answer him. "But now that I'm older, I think contract law suits me better and would be more beneficial for the path Jacob has planned for us."

"She's going to be the one to help set everything up," Jacob says. Edward finally looks back over to him. "She'll be head of my legal department."

Edwards looks back over to me and smiles crookedly. I have to repress a moan as his tongue darts out and swipes over his bottom lip. "I figured as much. I knew you had to have someone handle the legal side of things and since you," he looks back to Jacob, "only have a GED and a graduation certificate from automotive school, that was my biggest concern." He looks back over to me. "But since you will be at the helm, I'm not as worried as I was before."

The blush spreads from my cheeks and down my neck at his flattery. I have to swallow, hard, when his eyes follow the redness down to the tops of my chest. Suddenly, I feel the need to excuse myself. "I think I'm going to go to the ladies' room," I say with a nervous twinge to my voice.

As I move to stand, Edward moves like smooth lightning, appearing behind my chair and pulling it out as I stand. When I am at my full height, I can feel his breath ghosting down my bare back. "Excuse me," I say quietly and then hurry off.

By the time I make it to the bathroom, I have to throw myself into a stall. The pulsing in between my legs is becoming unbearably distracting as is my wetness.

Sliding the hem of my dress up, I pull my wet underwear aside. When my fingers move to my core, I find that I am absolutely soaked.

I reach out and grab a handful of toilet paper and wipe myself dry. Alice would kill me if I brought back the dress with a stain on the inside of it from my arousal. "What the fuck is wrong with me?" I huff out as I pull my dress back down. "You. Are. Engaged." I tell myself. "You love Jacob and have loved him for eight years."

 _What you are feeling towards Edward is just crazy, stupid attraction. Nothing more._

My eyes close as I take some deep breaths, reigning in my seemingly out of control hormones.

 _He's just a really fine-ass man. Nothing more._

A couple of minutes later when I have pulled myself together, I march back out into the restaurant and over to our table. "Sorry about that," I say softly as Jacob practically jumps out of his seat to pull my chair out for me, something he's only done three other times in our long relationship. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jacob responds before almost lunging at me and pressing a kiss that was a little too harsh and out of place on my lips. For some reason, the moment he releases me from the kiss, my eyes immediately look to Edward.

He seems to understand what Jacob was trying to say. _"She's mine."_ He smiles to himself with a little laugh before waving down our waiter and telling him we are ready to order.

We exchange pleasantries until the food arrives in record time, only talking about things like sports or the weather until Edward brings up the pitch, looking to Jake. "I was wondering if you are familiar with more high-end cars as well as your more common models?"

"I'm glad you brought that up, sir," Jacob says.

"Please, just call me Edward."

"Alright, Edward." Jacob smiles widely at him. "I just completed training in the computer software used for the more high-class models."

Bella watches as Jake talks at length about the intricacies of foreign sports cars versus domestic and I am so proud of him. He really studied hard to pass that online class. He's never been the academic type but he did so well that his teacher gave him rave reviews.

"The reason I ask is because one of my cars has been giving me trouble. The guy I usually take my cars to says that there is nothing wrong but when it downshifts, there is a little whirring noise. Maybe I could have you come take a look at it? See if you can figure out what is wrong?"

Jacob's grin is infectious as he replies. "I'd love to. Just name the time and place."

"How about right after dinner? I won't have much time after tonight for the next week."

"I think I can manage that." Jacob is practically vibrating in his seat. "You don't mind, do you?" he asks, looking to me.

"Not at all. I can drive myself back home."

"Nonsense," Edwards says, leaning forward to me. "My invitation extended to you as well."

"I don't know what kind of use I'd be," I say nervously. "I'd probably just be in the way."

"No, you wouldn't," Edward says adamantly. "Working in an auto shop for eight years, I'm sure you've learned a few things. I also assume you helped Mr. Black here study for his recent certification?"

"I did," I reply, feeling my pulse quicken under his stare as he leans further and further on the table, closer to me with every passing second.

"Then it's settled. You are coming back to my place with me."

The glint in his eye lets me know that he knows exactly what he said. The double meaning behind it is enough to make me smile at him against my will. Our eyes are locked and I shift in my seat, crossing my legs and squeezing my muscles, looking for friction for the third time tonight.

* * *

 _It's getting tense between the the two of them! Things are definitely heating up!_

 _Don't forget to **follow and review**. I love hearing what everyone thinks! Thanks a million for reading my story!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

* * *

When the valet pulls Edward's car around, I see that it is the same one from the other night. The one that Jacob raved about when he saw it out front.

" _That's_ your car?" Jacob inquires with slight surprise.

"It is." Edward answers.

"I saw it the other night and almost orgasmed on the spot when I heard you accelerate away."

Edward laughs heartily. "If that is the way you feel, then why don't you drive it back to my place." He tosses his keys over to Jake that the valet just handed him and Jake catches them even with his mouth is hanging open with shock.

"You're not serious, are you?" Jake deadpans.

"As a heart attack." Edward smiles at him. Jake studies him for a moment longer to see if he's bluffing before speaking.

"I would ask again if you were serious, but I don't want you thinking too much about me driving your car because you'd probably change your mind." He grins at Edward and starts to walk backward towards his car. "You're sure?"

"Positive," Edward replies. "Just activate the GPS on the touch screen and hit 'home'. It should guide you to my place."

"You're not riding with me?" Jacob asks surprised.

Edwards shakes his head and glances at me before looking back to Jake. "How is she going to find my place if I don't show her?"

"I didn't think about that," Jake admits.

"Go. Have fun. But be nice to her. She's worth a lot and she's my second favorite." Edward tells him.

Jacob smiles back at him. "I'll treat her like she's my own."

With that, Jacob wastes no time in climbing in. The car purrs to life and after the engine revs a few times, he takes off.

"You know, he's not going to stop talking about your car for months. I'm in for quite a few earfuls." I tell him as the valet approaches with my keys.

Edward chuckles and smiles at me, his eyes twinkling.

I might or might not have swooned a little.

"Your car, ma'am." The valet pulls my eyes from Edward's and I smile at him while my cheeks flame red.

"Thanks," I muttered, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about our old Corolla. I fiddle with the keys in my hand as I start to lead him towards the old tan car. "Um…you might not be used to riding in a car like mine."

"Actually, my first car was an '84 Dodge Ram. I drove it for over four years before I could afford to buy a better car." Edward's confession stuns me. I look up at him with utter surprise and find him smirking down at me. "I can see that surprises you."

"It does," I tell him. We reach my car then and he follows me around to the driver's side and opens the door for me. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." His voice is smooth butter yet somehow husky at the same time.

As I sit down and he shuts my door, my nerves spike as I think about that fact that I am about to be completely alone with him. With a man that I am very attracted to and he is clearly attracted to me. Not having enough time to decide if this is a good idea or not, I fumble with the keys for a second when he opens the passenger door before I am able to get them in the ignition. "Ready?" I ask him, adjusting the seat and the mirrors.

"Very." He answers as he clicks his seatbelt on.

I pull out onto the road and head towards the freeway when he tells me to. I can feel his eyes on me and I squirm in my seat under his stare. There is a tension building and the silence between us becomes charged not even a full minute after we leave the restaurant. "How long have you and Jacob been together?" he asks.

I try to suck in a subtle breath, thankful he's broken the silence, unable to take much more of the atmosphere that was building. "Right at eight years. We started dating when I was 17 and he was 16."

"Wow. You both were just kids when you decided that you were in love?" he asks. The way he words it is strange to me, but I answer him anyway.

"Yeah. Things progressed pretty quickly because we had sort of grown up together. My mom and dad were divorced and when I would come up here to visit my dad, Jake was always there because our dads are best friends. When I moved up here permanently after my mom remarried, things just naturally moved in the direction of a relationship."

"Did you have any boyfriends before him?" he asks.

Even though I don't quite understand why he is asking that question, I answer him. "No. He's been my first everything." I glance over at him and see that his brows are raised in surprise.

"Wow. That's…you don't hear about your kind of story very often."

"I guess not," I admit. "None of our friends are still with their high school sweethearts." His earlier statement still lingers in the back of my mind and since he's asked some personal questions about me, I decide that it's my turn to ask some back. "You said that your first car was an old truck?" I phrase the statement like a question and wait for him to continue.

"It was."

I glance over at him and see a brilliant smile on his lips as he looks at me. I quickly look back to the road and bite my lip at the delicious sight of him, trying desperately to ignore the intoxicating scent coming from him.

"You assumed that I have always been as well off as I am now." His sentence is a statement of a fact that I am now embarrassed to admit.

I nod my head as I continue to drive.

"When my parents died when I was ten, I was put into the foster care system. My mother was an only child whose parents had died and my father had been estranged from his family for over twenty years."

"I'm so sorry," I tell him, looking to him and giving him a timid smile. I'm sure the last thing he wants to see is pity in my eyes.

"It was hard, but it was a long time ago." His voice is a little more somber now and I get the urge to reach out and grab his hand to offer him support.

I grip the steering wheel tighter.

"I bounced around from foster home to foster home and became a bit of a troublemaker, running away and cutting class. When I was 14, I was transferred to another foster home. It was my now adoptive parents who were waiting for me when the social worker dropped me off."

It sounds as if there is a smile on his face when he speaks now so I sneak a glance at him. Sure enough, half of his mouth is upturned as he reminisces.

"I gave my poor mother a really hard time for a long while. Thankfully, she saw past my anger and abandonment issues and didn't let me push her away with my behavior. She slowly broke me down and showed me that she loved me and they weren't going to get rid of me, no matter what I did.

"The adoption was finalized when I was 15 and my father gave me a job working in his small medical practice filing paperwork. I saved for a year and a half before I was able to afford that old truck." He chuckles to himself. "It was a real piece of crap but I was so proud of it because I had earned the money and bought it myself without anyone's help."

"There is a sort of beauty when you do something like that; accomplish something completely on your own, not depending on anyone's help," I tell him, thinking of my nearly completed law degree. "The pride you feel when you've done it is…sublime." There is a contented smile on my face when I look over to him. The look he is giving me is so warm and full of understanding, the smile on his face crinkling his green eyes shut.

I look away.

"That's exactly how I felt." He continues. "When I had my truck, I realized that I could do anything I wanted as long as I put my mind to it and worked hard for it. That's when I found a book about the stock market in my father's library. It was about the fundamentals of how it worked but I was intrigued. Once I was done with that book, I wanted to know more. I saved money to buy more books about it and after I had read all I could from our local bookstore, I asked my father if I could take a summer course at the college 20 minutes away in finance and marketing. I had just turned 17 when I started my first college course."

"Wow." I sigh. "And the rest of the story….?"

"As they say, is history." He finishes. "I learned what trends to look out for and which stocks I should invest in and when. I looked for promising new companies with CEOs and owners with something to prove to the world. They tend to be the ones with enough passion to see their companies through to the top and work really hard to get it there."

"And would you include yourself into that category?"

"Unequivocally." He answers. I can tell he is smiling, and I smile in return, unable to help myself.

"If you don't mind me asking, how much money did you start out with? How much money did you invest in your first stock?" I'm curious if Jake will have a similar story to his.

"I put $50 into a stock for a small online bookstore called Amazon."

I can't help but jerk my head towards him, my mouth hanging open. "Oh my gosh. You're serious?"

"As a heart attack." He says, clearly enjoying my surprise. "They were just about to start selling other items and I thought they had potential."

"To say that you were right is an understatement." I interrupt. "I wish I had the ability to see what you did with Amazon."

"I could teach you." He offers. "It's really not that hard once you know what to look for."

"I might actually take you up on that offer if you're serious." The thought of spending time with him while he tutors me is…scary. And not in the traditional way. It's scary in the way that I know that there is this _thing_ between us and whatever it is, it's powerful. The air between us is always somehow electrified.

It's absolutely thrilling.

It's also very dangerous since I'm engaged.

"I'd love to tutor you, Miss. Swan." His voice is a purr and it makes my skin prickle with something close to excitement.

"It's Bella." I correct him, only somehow, my voice is low like his instead of the reprimanding tone I was hoping for. "Only my neighbor's little boy calls me Miss. Swan."

"Alright, then. Just Bella it is." His voice curls around my name in a way that should be illegal.

As we pass under a street light, my modest engagement ring catches the light and I shake my head subtly, clearing the fog out of it. I'm in love and engaged.

 _He's just a pretty face to look at. He only wants one thing from me. Once he's had it, he'll toss me to the curb and he won't invest in Jake's garage._

This is the mantra I need to start telling myself.

"How long till I turn again?" I ask, trying my best to make my voice light and curious. Of course, I overdo it and end up squeaking slightly like a little mouse. I groan internally at myself refuse to look over at him which I so desperately want to do.

"About another half mile and then turn right. Then another two miles before you reach my driveway."

"I didn't expect you to live in such a rural area," I remark, noticing that we have been driving east for a while.

"I like my privacy." He lets out a small breath before he continues. "My home, it's the one place I don't feel the pressure from work. I didn't want to have to deal with the uppity social climbers that fill the wealthy neighborhoods in Seattle that are my business associates, so I moved away from it all. It's really refreshing after a long day to drive and enter into my own little world filled with moss covered trees and be able to hike in my own backyard."

The wistfulness in his voice is endearing and very much unexpected. This man just keeps surprising me. I thought he would be…I don't know, just _different_. "You like to hike?"

"Yes. Do you?"

I shrug. "I do. I started when I was 18 at Jake's insistence and was terrible." I smile as I remember the first time he dragged me out on the reservation. "I stumbled through the vegetation and fell more than I hiked."

"What?" he says surprised.

Glancing at him, I see him looking shocked. Enjoying that, I continue. "I was a burden on him. But, he kept dragging me out and I slowly got better. I was able to find my footing and now, I love it. I find it to be very relaxing."

"I couldn't agree more."

It's quiet for a minute after that, but comfortable. It's not awkward and I don't feel the need to fill the silence either. It's just…nice.

"This is it." He says softly, pointing to a driveway on the right. There are big iron gates that prevent anyone from moving further than two car lengths into the drive. A black keypad sticks out from a sleek stone structure. Once I pull up to it, I see that there are no numbers to punch in and no place to put a key in. There is only a small flat area that looks like a touchscreen.

"What do I do?" I ask as I look at him.

He smirks at me and unbuckles his seatbelt. "It needs my thumbprint."

Then, he begins to lean toward me, his eyes trained on mine. For one wild moment, I think he is going to kiss me. A small started breath passes through my lips that he doesn't miss as he comes closer. His eyes dart down to my mouth before he tears them away and swallows.

When he's in front of me, his hand reaching out of the window, his smell engulfs my sanity. My eyes drift closed and I lean into where his neck is bared to me and sniff. It's a mixture of sandalwood, pepper, sweat, and something else manly that I can't figure out.

Thankfully, he doesn't seem to notice even though his body is draped over mine, in between the steering wheel and my chest. It might just be my imagination but when he starts to pull back and go back to his seat, he moves slower than a normal person would, seeming to want to draw out our closeness and the mountain of tension that is clearly between us that I am determined to ignore.

I watch him for a second longer than necessary, our eyes locked before I tear them away and take my foot off the brake when the gate opens. "How did Jake get in?" I have to bring my mind back to Jake. _I have to_.

"My cars are equipped with sensors that send a code to my gate when they approach." He answers.

"Aren't you worried about someone stealing your car and gaining access to your home?" I ask.

"No. I can turn off the sensors from my phone in the case one is stolen."

"Oh." Is all I manage to squeak out. In truth, my mind is still fuzzy from his proximity moments ago.

 _It's just his looks. That's all it is. I'd feel the same way if I were stuck in a car with Dominic Sherwood or either one of the Hemsworth brothers._

His driveway winds down and then up a slope, curving further and further into the green forest. Just as I am about to ask how much further, he speaks up. "I have 40 acres that surround my home. I wanted to be able to walk outside and not see anyone…ever."

I smile. "I like the idea of that." Just as the last words fall from my lips, we turn around a corner and the sight of his home takes my breath away.

It's made of stone in half a dozen varying shades of grey. It's not some monstrosity like I thought it would be and the home can't be more than five thousand square feet on the inside. There are vines creeping up part of the front and all of the right side of his home while the far left side sits on the edge of some sort of drop-off. The front doors are intricate and large, made of dark wood and glass that seem to twine together every six inches, veins of wood weaving in and out of the glass. It looks like his home just somehow grew out of the ground and was meant to be there.

"Wow. It's beautiful." I murmur. "Not a mansion."

"I didn't want something ostentatious." He says quietly. "This is my home, not a showroom or somewhere to showcase how successful I am. I love the forest and wanted something that made me feel like I was a part of it and not an intruder upon it."

I pull the car to a stop to get a longer look at it. I can't help it. It's so beautiful.

"You are not at all like I thought you'd be." The words slip out of my mouth before I realize what I've said.

"I'm hoping that's a good thing." His voice is soft and I turn to look at him. There is a soft half-smile on his face that is incredibly vulnerable looking. The beauty of it takes my breath away.

His Adam's apple bobs roughly as he swallows. His jaw flexes as he runs a hand through his bronze hair and looks away and to the right. "Down there is where my garage is."

Looking in that direction, I can clearly see that there is a similar looking building that sits a good way away from the home and down a soft incline.

"I have a two-car garage there," he points to his home and I see two garage doors that almost disappear into the stone on the house, "for my everyday cars. I keep my more exotic ones in the garage. That's where we are going."

A deep cleansing breath chases away my previous thoughts as I prepare to see Jake again and help him get the investment we came here for. Pulling up to the entrance, I stop and park just outside. The large sliding garage doors are open and I can see Jake inside, looking inside of some other car that looks fast just sitting still.

I hang back for a second and fiddle with my clutch for a moment, pulling out my lipstick and reapplying it before stepping out of the car, leaving my shawl behind. When the cool wind hits the skin of my back, I shiver and then hurry inside, following behind Edward. He looks so suave as he walks towards Jake with his hands leisurely placed inside his pants pockets.

The two rows of sports cars, five cars deep each, are impressive. I trail over to a shiny black one that I think is a Ferrari and run my fingers along its beautiful curves.

"That's one of my favorites."

Edward's voice is surprisingly close and deep. I spin to see him only a few feet away, his eyes darting from my exposed lower back to the car. For a moment, it looks like he blushes, although I don't understand why he would. "Would you like to see the inside?"

As his hand reaches out to guide me by my back to the car door, Jake calls out to me. "Babe! Come look at this!"

I'm momentarily disappointed that I didn't get to feel his hand on the skin of my back. I smile at Jake and walk towards a silver Bugatti. I can hear Edward's dress shoes clicking softly against the floor as he follows behind me.

"You look like a kid in a candy store," I tell him. The smile he is sporting is beautiful and infectious.

"That's because I _am_ a kid in a candy store." He replies, moving around the car, never taking his eyes off it.

"Did you enjoy the drive?" Edward asks. His voice is completely different than it was only a few moments ago when he spoke to me. All the softness is gone and is replaced with a more formal tone.

Jake's huge smile as he looks at him could be seen from the moon. "It was the best twenty minutes of my life."

"Really?" Edwards asks dubiously. "That's surprising." He glances at me for a moment before looking back.

"Well, it's not every day that I get to drive one these babies around." Jake's arm's spread wide as he gestures towards the cars.

I try to catch Jake's eyes and fail for a few moments while he moves on to the next car. I try to walk as casually as I can to him and grab his hand, giving it a squeeze to remind him why we are here. He doesn't seem to get it at first, only glancing at me before I dig my nails into his palm. When he looks back to me, I widen my eyes a little and give a very subtle nod towards Edward.

Thankfully, he takes the hint. He straightens up and composes his face before he turns back to face him. Jake reaches into his pocket and pulls out the key Edward had given him and hands it back to him. "Thank you for letting me drive your Aston Martin. It corners like a dream."

Edward gives him a smile and pockets the key. "Shall we?" he asks and nods to a car in the back of the garage.

Jake raises a brow in surprise. "You're having trouble with you McLaren P1?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"That's surprising," Jake tells him, his brows furrowing as he moves closer to it. "May I?" he asks once he reaches it, moving to open the door. Edwards nods and Jake opens the door. It raises up and he slips inside it.

"The key is just inside the cupholder."

I stand back and watch as Edward walks to stand next to Jake outside of the car, still with his hands tucked into his pockets. "You'll have to take it for a drive to hear what I am talking about."

A small twist of Jake's lips lets us know just how sad he is to have to drive another one of Edward's cars. Thankfully, he quickly schools his features back to a serious and thoughtful look. "It would be best if you join me so you can point it out for me. You said that your regular mechanic told you he didn't hear or feel a thing wrong with it?" he questions again, recalling the discussion that brought us here.

"That is correct but I know my cars and there is something wrong when the McLaren downshifts."

"Alright then, hop in and we'll take it for a quick spin, see if we can get it to misbehave." Jake grins at him.

Edward looks back over to me with an apology on his face. "I'm sorry but would you mind terribly if I went with him? I hate to leave you here all alone."

"I'll be perfectly fine," I assure him.

"I just feel like it's awfully rude of me."

"No worries. Really." I say. "This will just give me a chance to look around."

He studies me for a moment longer before nodding and sliding into the passenger seat. I stand back as they take off and disappear back up the long driveway. It's only when I can no longer see the red glow of the tail lights that I am able to take a deep breath. Being around Edward is just so….intoxicating. There is no better word to describe it.

He's beautiful and rich, yet somehow humble. He's worked for everything he has and seems to not like the attention that comes along with his success.

Edward is undoubtedly an enigma.

Looking back to the car I was at when we first got here, I walk back to it and continue my inspection of its lines. I've never been a big fan of Ferrari's, but there is something about this one that I love. A cursory glance over my shoulder to make sure no one is around, I open the door and sit in the driver's seat. Acting like a five-year-old, I grip the steering wheel with both hands and pretend I'm driving it, making vrooming noises with my mouth the whole time.

After a few minutes of that, I laugh at myself and roll my eyes at my own ridiculousness. Not wanting to get caught, I hurry out of the car and shut the door. That's when I catch a glimpse of what looks like a truck under a big white cloth tarp.

An overwhelming grin pulls up my lips.

Just as I am about to move to it, Jake and Edward pull back into the garage and park a few cars down from me. When Edward steps out, I lock eyes with him and point to the tarp. "Is that what I think it is?"

Edward's smile is bright as he answers. "It is. I've never had the heart to sell it."

"May I?" I nod towards it.

"Be my guest." He answers.

I move swiftly over to the tarp and grab a corner of it, flipping it back and revealing his first vehicle. "It's just like how I imagined it." My voice is wistful as I take it in. The dark blue paint on it seems to somehow match his personality. "Does it still run?"

"It does. I tuned it up three weeks ago."

"When was the last time you drove it?"

"When I tuned it." He answers as he walks around to open the driver's side door for me. "I can tell you want to get in."

I chuckle a little. "My mom always said my face was like an open book." I pull myself up into it. The smell of old worn leather and polish fill the cab. I notice there is a small tear in the middle of the bench seat and my fingers smooth over it, wondering why he hasn't fixed it.

"That is from my little sister. She was wearing these little plastic fake dress-up heels from one of her princess costumes when I took her to the store one day. I was so upset when she tore the leather there."

His face changes then. Somber tones take over his beautiful features. "Unfortunately, she was killed in a car accident two weeks later."

Understanding washes through me and I unconsciously reach out to place my hand over his where it is resting on the back of the seat beside my shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through so much when you were so young."

His green eyes bore into mine and he only looks away when Jacob calls out. "I think I found the problem."

I look out through the windshield and see him looking down at a small tablet that is connected to the circuit panel under the hood of the McLaren. His brows are scrunched together in deep thought.

"Excuse me," Edward says before he turns and walks towards Jake. His hand slips from under mine and I instantly miss the connection.

I take one more look at the tear before I hop down out of the truck, shutting the door behind me. After one more look at the truck, I walk over to the two men. Jake is speaking with his professional voice as he tells him he suspects it is a short in a fuse in one of the computer panels. "I think it's preventing a sensor from recognizing when you downshift. Because of that, it's not able to tell the engine what to properly do."

"But why wouldn't my mechanic catch this?" Edward asks him, wanting to know just why he believes this.

There is a tiny smirk on Jake's lips as he responds. "Because I'm assuming he didn't catch this small discrepancy in the function of the circuit board." Jake points to the screen and Edward leans over, reading something there. "While it could be easily overlooked, the last online course I took taught basic programming that is being used in the automotive industry. With my knowledge of what this program is supposed to look like, I was able to see where it threw up something out of the ordinary. In this case, where it was trying to compensate for a fuse that is misfiring."

Edward purses his lips for a moment before nodding. "I'll have it taken into him tomorrow to see if you are correct."

The confident smile and the way Jake is standing straight points to him knowing he is right. When he looks at me, I am sure he sees nothing but pride on my face. This is a huge step towards getting him to invest. I give him a small wink and he winks back.

Edward looks between the two of us before pulling out his phone and checking the time. "Well, I do believe the two of you have a long drive back home. I should probably let you get on the road." He turns to face Jake and shakes his hand. "I will get back to you by the middle of next week."

"That sounds great," Jake replies. When Edward turns to me, I hold out my hand. Instead of shaking it, he brings it to his lips and kisses my knuckles briefly like he always has. Not letting go of my hand, he says, "Once again, it was a pleasure seeing you Bella."

"You too, Edward. Thank you for meeting with us. It really means a lot. I know you are a busy man."

He lets go of my hand and thankfully the tingling on my skin stops when he does. "I always have time to hear about a good investment opportunity. Especially from beautiful women."

Of course, I blush like crazy.

Jacob clears his throat.

"You are one hell of a lucky man, Jacob Black. Don't let this one out of your sight." Edward tells him as he watches him walk over to me and take my hand.

"I don't plan on it." Jake answers. He then pulls me away and we hurry to the car sitting just outside of the garage.

Once we are inside the car and driving up the driveway, Jake looks to me and laughs. "That guy is one hell of a player. He probably has a different woman in his bed every night."

"What?" I ask. His words somehow surprise me.

"Oh, come on Bella." He says with exasperation. "You're smarter than that. You're supposed to see past his smooth moves and see him for what he really is. A rich player. With his smooth talking, I'll bet he's had sex with every socialite on the west coast."

For some reason, hurt blossoms in me. The thought that I could be just another notch in his belt to him hurts even though that's what I told myself earlier.

I start to wonder if everything he has done has been in attempt to get me in bed; that maybe he wants to see if I will cheat on Jacob with him. Maybe he isn't really interested in _me_ like I thought he was.

"Baby, don't do that," Jacob says softer this time. "Don't think bad about yourself. You know how beautiful and smart you are. Of course he would want to be with you. I feel like I constantly have to beat back the line of men who are waiting for me to screw up so they can have a chance with you." I look back to him. "But the best thing about you is the fact that I know you would never cheat on me. You're not that type of person."

I nod at him and force a tiny smile on my face.

"Besides," he continues, "we both know that I am way hotter than he is."

My smile widens and I laugh a little to cover up my uncertainty. "True," I say, and for the first time, I'm not sure I agree with my own statement.

* * *

 _Up next is Edward's "indecent proposal". Yay!_

 _Fyi, I know nothing about cars. So forgive me if I'm terribly wrong about something._

 _Don't forget to **follow** and **review** and tell me what you think about how Bella and Edward are progressing. I love hearing from _ya'll _, even if it is in DM. Thank's for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

The next day flies by. I'm pretty tired after getting home at two in the morning and having to be at the garage at six-thirty. By the time I come home from my second job at Newton's, I crash hard.

It's Saturday when I wake up and I thank the heavens that I only have to work for four hours at Newton's this afternoon. Jake will be busy at the garage all day because he took the day off to drive to Seattle for the meeting with Edward.

My eyes pop open even wider when I think about him. I've been waiting for a chance to do some research on him and his social and private life since Jake practically suggested that he really wasn't interested in _me_ and only wanted me to warm his bed for one night.

Just the fact that Jake suggested that pisses me off. The more I thought about what he said yesterday as I worked, it upset me. He hurt my feelings. I know it's absurd, but I can't help but feel this way.

Which is why today while Jake is at work, I am going to research the hell out of him. That's what lawyers do anyway. We research things and read between the lines so we can enact the law of the land.

I hurry off to the kitchen and fix myself a glass of milk and snatch an apple-cinnamon muffin. On the way back to the bedroom, I stuff my laptop under my arm and precariously carry it while I try not to spill my milk. After setting everything down, I lean against the headboard on my bed and pull the computer into my lap while I eat and drink my breakfast.

My favorite search engine pops up and I type in "Edward Cullen Seattle."

The first results page is filled with nothing but his business accomplishments and articles about how much he's worth. I skim through those for a few minutes, impressed at what he's been able to do in just over a decade of work. He is also involved in countless charities. Some that he even started himself. But what I really want to know about right at this moment is about his social life.

Refining my search, I type the keywords, "Edward Cullen" "date" "girlfriend". When I hit enter, the page explodes.

There are so many articles available speculating about his sex life.

 _"Edward Cullen; is he gay?"_

 _"Edward Cullen is briefly seen kissing socialite Tanya Denali at a restaurant."_

 _"The most eligible bachelor on the west coast!"_

 _"Why is Edward Cullen never seen with any women? Could he really be 'in the closet'?"_

 _"….refuses to speak about his relationship status with Miss. Denali."_

 _"Forbes 100: Is Edward Cullen the sexiest and most successful man ever?"_

 _"….was seen leaving the gala by himself, as usual."_

I'm actually relieved to read these articles. It seems that Jacob was wrong about Edward. Either that or he is _really good_ at keeping his trysts with women a secret. And since I definitely know he's not gay, that means…..well, I'm not sure what exactly all his flirting means. I'm sure that Edward could make an article that he didn't like go away. That's what fame and money allow you to do.

I scroll down to the article that has Tanya Denali's name in the headline next to his. It seems like this is the only person the press had been able to tie him to in any sort of romantic way.

A picture pops up of a very stunningly beautiful woman with strawberry blonde hair that most women would pay hundreds for. Her smile as she looks at Edward is brilliant. They are walking out of a restaurant, his hand on her lower back, while she is smiling at him. It looks like he is talking by the shape of his mouth.

I click on another picture and see him leaning down to kiss her. The picture was taken from far away and it's clear he thought they were where they couldn't be seen in the back corner of the same restaurant.

Seeing this picture of him kissing another woman irks me.

The article was posted just over a year ago. There has only been one other article mentioning him with her since then and that was over nine months ago.

"Ugh. Why am I looking at this?" I ask myself aloud.

I slam my laptop shut and climb out of bed.

* * *

It's Thursday of the following week when my phone rings. I'm in the middle of making dinner, stuffing a cheese mixture into pasta shells. "Jake! Can you answer my phone? My hands are covered in food."

I hear him heave off the couch and he appears around the corner into our small kitchen. When he looks at my phone, his eyes widen. "What? Who is it?" I ask, even though I already know.

"It's Edward Cullen." He spits out before clearing his throat and answering the phone. "Hello, Jacob Black speaking."

I have to smirk at his slightly awkward introduction.

"She is, but she's busy right now," Jake says as he glances at me. He's quiet for a moment and nods his head a few times. I'm dying to know what is being said as Jake's brows press harshly together.

As I am wiping my hands off, he _finally_ speaks. "I think that I, we, can make that work." He looks up at me. I rush to him and press my ear to the other side of the phone.

 _"….my home at noon. I look forward to discussing a possible business venture with you."_

"I do too, Mr. Cullen. Thank you so much. We'll see you then." He pulls the phone away from his ear. "I was right about his car." He says, almost sounding stunned. "I can't believe it."

"Did I hear him telling us to meet him at his home to discuss getting an investment from him?" I ask excitedly.

He finally looks at me then. "Saturday at noon at his place."

"Oh. My. Gosh." I say. "You did it, Jake!" I jump up and wrap my arms around his neck. It takes him a second before he is squeezing me back and spinning me around with my feet flying.

When he sets me down, his eyes are wild with excitement. "We have to go out and celebrate!"

I step back from him. "Jake, I already told you that I really have to cram tonight. My final is tomorrow, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"What about tomorrow night?" I offer. "I mean, we wouldn't be able to stay out late because we're going to Seattle early but…"

"But this calls for a celebration, Bella! You're smart enough to pass it without cramming. Just ditch it and come out with us!"

"Us?" I ask.

"Yeah. I was going to call the pack. Embry, Paul, Sam, Seth…"

"Oh. I thought that it would just be us…but I guess that would be fun." I sigh. "Go out with the guys. I'll probably still be up when you get back. We can just go out tomorrow night."

* * *

Sitting in the car with Jake is tense. Even though I've tried to cool down, I'm still pissed about last night. When he went out with his guy friends, he didn't get home till 4 in the morning. He slept for a few hours, got up and went to work. When he got off at 8 that evening, I was waiting for him, dressed in a little cute sundress and in the best mood because I felt like I aced my final.

"Are you going to be mad at me for the rest of the day?" he asks. His tone is full of exasperation.

I cut my eyes over to him as he drives. "If I feel like it, yes. Especially since you refuse to admit that you did anything wrong."

His jaw flexes with anger as he grips the steering wheel tighter, his muscles tensing in his forearms. He wants to argue with me about it but he doesn't want to at the same time because we are almost at Edward's house.

When he got home last night, I was ready to celebrate. I had spent an hour getting ready. When he walked in the door, he didn't say a word to me. After a few uncomfortable minutes of me staring at him while he laid down on the couch, he asked _, "Why are you dressed up?"_

 _"Because I thought we were going out to celebrate."_

 _He groaned and closed his eyes. "Bella, I'm too tired. Plus, I spent way too much money at the bar last night. Can't we just stay in and celebrate?"_

 _"But I got dressed up and have been looking forward to this all day."_

 _"And can't you see that I'm exhausted?" he snapped, his tone a little bitter. "I've been nursing a hangover all day and Joey was all over my ass about it. If he weren't my boss, I would have clocked him."_

 _"But you said that you and I could go out to celebrate tonight." I reminded him._

 _"Awww, come on Bells. Don't make me. I just want to sleep." He threw his arm over his eyes and for some reason, my blood started to boil._

 _"Fine. I won't_ force you _to go out with your fiancée." I pulled my dress over my head revealing the black lacy bra and panty set that I wore for him._

 _His eyes offered no reaction when he saw it._

 _"Oh, and by the way, since you haven't asked, I think I nailed my final. Not that you care." That's when he finally reacted. It was clear that he had forgotten. "I'm a law school graduate now." I spun on my heels and slammed the door to our bedroom as I heard another, "Aw, come on Bella. I forgot. I've been so tired all day."_

"I was tired." He mumbles after a few tense minutes. "We can go out tonight if you'd like." The tone in his voice suggests that that is the last thing he wants to do.

"You wouldn't have been so tired if you hadn't stayed out so late. And besides, I'm not really in the mood, Jake. The moment has passed."

"Dammit, Bella. I'm trying."

"No. You're trying to placate me. There's a difference."

It's quiet for the rest of the drive. When we pull up to Edward's driveway, we hear someone speaking from the little box where he gave his thumbprint to.

"May I help you?" the male voice says.

"Yes. I'm Jacob Black. I'm here to see Mr. Cullen."

"Very well then." The voice says. A moment later, the gates start to slowly open.

It takes a few minutes to drive up to the house and now that it's daylight, I can see so many small details I missed about it when it was dark.

There is a row of solar panels off to the side and I can see a deck peeking out from the back of the house. The drop off that I noticed to the left of his home looks like it extends to the whole back of the house. It's obvious now that there must be a breathtaking view from inside because, in the distance, I see a large river glistening in the sunlight from the few breaks the clouds offer.

"I can't believe how small his house is," Jake says with a hint of disdain. "If I had as much money as him, I'd have a mansion. I mean, come on. It's made of rocks." He huffs a disbelieving breath as he nods at it.

I think about arguing with him about his comment but decide to clamp my mouth shut for now. It wouldn't do any good to disagree with him when we already aren't on the best of terms.

It doesn't take me long to hop out of the car once it stops in front of the door where the driveway curls around. I can't help but smile knowing that I am going to get to see the inside of this beautiful house. The front doors alone are enough to make me want to sigh with love. They are even more beautiful in the daytime.

"Why are you just standing there?" Jake asks.

I look away from admiring the doors to see him a few feet in front of me. He's waiting for me.

I clear my throat and take a deep breath as we walk up to the door. Jake reaches over and presses the doorbell. Seconds later, Edward swings the door open.

"Glad you both could make it," Edward says as he motions for both of us to come in.

Jake shakes his hand as he passes, and I do the same, my skin tingling like always. His smile is so bright when we lock eyes that it pains me to look away and take survey of the inside of his home.

"Wow. It's so beautiful." I whisper to myself.

"Thank you." Edward beams at me. "I love it here."

My eyes are pulled to the back wall of the house. It's made completely of glass and boasts one of the most amazing views I've ever seen. I can see for miles over the tops of the trees while only a couple of hundred yards away lies the large stunning river.

I find myself pulled towards the glass wall. "Wow. What river is that?"

When he answers me, it's from right behind me. "Early River. It's a connection between to lakes. The fishing is phenomenal."

"You fish?" I ask excitedly, spinning around with a smile.

"I love to. It's very relaxing." He says, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I used to hate it when my dad made me go fishing with him. That is until I caught my first fish. After that, I was hooked. I go with him all the time now when I get a chance."

"And then we eat fish for days," Jacob says. He's standing beside me now. "Bella and her father are quite the team and always bring home too much."

"I like to make sushi with most of what I catch," Edward says, looking over at Jake.

Jake's face scrunches up. "I don't eat raw fish."

"I can't get him to even try it. I love sushi." I say with a small laugh.

Over by a small hallway, a man in a suit appears. "Are we ready, Mr. Cullen?" he asks him.

Edward looks to him and then looks back to us, an air seriousness settling over him. "I believe so, Mr. Spencer." I'm surprised when he sends me a somewhat nervous look for a just a brief second before schooling his features back to an air of business. "If you would, follow me."

He turns and Jake places his hand on the small of my back to lead me down the hallway after him. Edward is a little more relaxed looking than I've seen him in a pair of dress slacks and a white button up shirt without a tie. It makes me feel better for wearing the sundress that I was going to wear last night, glad to not be too under or overdressed. Jake is practically wearing the same thing that Edward is just minus a few thousand dollars that went along with the price tag.

We don't walk for very long at all before turning right into an office. "Please, take a seat." He tells us. I sit in the black suede chair on the right in front of his desk while Jake sits in the one to the left. Edward takes his seat behind his desk while Mr. Spencer stands next to him, pulling out a stack of papers from a small briefcase.

"First, I would like the both of you to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement." Mr. Spencer says. This lets me know that he is his lawyer as I suspected. "Everything said here in this meeting will be confidential. If Mr. Cullen is agreeable to investing in your business, it will be as a silent partner."

I pick up the contract and quickly read over it. After seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I nod to Jacob and the both of us sign it.

Edward then visibly relaxes.

"The reason why I had you meet me here at my home and not my office is because what I am going to propose to you and Miss. Swan is a bit unconventional." He looks to Jake and then to me. "It involves you."

"I'm confused," I say to him. "Does it involve me because I am going to head up the legal side of things?"

Edward swallows roughly and leans back in his chair, almost looking like he might run out of the room for a moment before regaining his composure. "That is not what I mean."

It's quiet for a moment before Mr. Spencer lays out a contract in front of us. Edward leans forward quickly and places his hand over it. "Before you read this, I should tell you what is on it and why."

"What is on this contract?" Jacob asks, picking up on the weird vibe coming from the two men across from us.

Edward fixes his face and sets a mask of seriousness over his features. "I am willing to invest in your startup." I look over to Jake and see a brilliant smile light up his face. I can't help but smile at him. "I will offer you $475,000 to start your new garage."

"That's incredible, Mr. Cullen. You won't regret this." Jake says as he reaches his hand across and offers it to Edward to shake. When Edward looks down at it, he shakes his head infinitesimally.

"I know that you won't be able to build the business you want with that amount and that it is over $200,000 less than what the bank had approved for you, but I am more weary with my money. I believe if you have the drive, you will be able to make that money work harder for you. Be able to stretch it further."

"It is less but it is significantly better than having nothing which is what I have now." Jake answers.

"But, I am willing to offer much more…under certain conditions." He adds on, his eyes glancing at me for a second. "The conditions are not exactly conventional."

Neither Jake or I say a word.

"You see," he says and looks at me, "I have a lot of galas and functions to attend starting in a few days. My mother and father are also going to be here along with most of my family. I want to avoid certain situations that my family will want to impose upon me and the only way to do that is if I have a girlfriend."

"Okay, now I'm really confused," I tell him.

"What I am offering is that you, Isabella, come and spend a month with me, pretending to be my girlfriend. If you agree, I will add $500,000 to the total investment."

For a brief moment, both Jake and I are stunned into silence by his offer. Before I can get my brain in working order again, Jake angrily stands up. "Bella is not some whore that can be bought."

Now, it's Edward that looks angry. "I would _never_ even think such a thing. All I am asking is that she comes to stay with me here and go with me to social gatherings. Anything less than that and my family would suspect something. She will have her own room, with a lock, and I will not expect nor demand anything physical from her. I only desire her presence."

"And why can't you just hire some hooker to play the part or even just date someone for the time being? You're filthy rich, I'm sure you wouldn't have a problem finding a date." Jacob quips back at him.

"Because it would have to be believable for my family. I can't just pick anyone because they know me and know the type of person that I would be interested in. Someone who is genuine and not materialistic. There aren't a lot of those kinds of people around in my circle."

"But why does it matter to you so much to you that you fool your family?" I ask him. Part of me is surprised that I'm not screaming at him for suggesting such a thing. Maybe I am in shock.

"Because my mother is a force of nature. She is determined to find someone for me, even though everyone she suggests is completely wrong for me. For once, I would like to enjoy my time with her and not have to dodge every woman she promises me to at every function. Her meddling makes me miserable even though she means well. All I want is to avoid it."

"And you're willing to add $500,000 to the investment for that?" I ask again.

"No. I am willing to give your startup $500,000 that I will not require to be returned for your agreeance to this proposition." Edward clarifies.

There is a moment of silence that hangs in the air with that statement. My mind is moving a million miles a minute and I can't seem to settle on what I should think or feel.

Edward removing his hand from the contracts and sitting back in his seat draws my eyes. It is clear that he is nervous about our reaction. I look over to Jake who looks somewhere between furious, intrigued, and excited.

"Is the only reason you want my fiancée to spend a month with you is because you want to have sex with her?" Jake spits out. "She is _my_ fiancée. She's not something that can be bought."

"And I am not suggesting that." Edward spits back at him. "All I am asking is that she pretends to be my girlfriend to keep my mother off my back. Like I already stated, I am not requiring any sort of physical contact from her. It's all in the contract."

"He's right," I say. My voice is calm and collected, but on the inside, I'm pretty offended. I'm also surprised that Jake hasn't punched him. "I'm not for sale."

"I know you aren't. But I was hoping your time was." Edward says softly, looking right at me. "You are smart, beautiful, and down to earth. You wouldn't say something stupid or flirt with some other rich man because you are engaged to Mr. Black here." He nods towards Jake but doesn't look at him. "You wouldn't expect anything from me, including a relationship or physical contact, and I can trust that you would take this arrangement seriously because you are a lawyer and are able to see things objectively."

He takes a deep breath and leans forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "Listen, I know this is extremely unconventional, but I think this would be a win-win situation for both parties involved. Strictly business."

I look back to Jake and I can practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"I know this is something that the both of you will want to discuss so I will take Mr. Spencer here with me and leave you two here to discuss it privately." Edward stands up and I watch in silence as the two men leave. Once the door is shut behind them, Jake pushes the chair back, scraping it on the hardwood floor, and begins to pace.

"I can't fucking believe this." He says, running a hand through his hair. "He practically wants to give me another $500,000 just for a month of your time."

I'm still too shocked to speak. My lawyer side kicks in as I see the lengthy contract sitting on the desk and I reach over and pick it up. As I start to read it, Jake keeps pacing and speaking.

"I mean, I knew he wanted to fuck you but really? To offer half a million to just spend time with you….that's a little crazy. He's lying. He just wants to get you here so he can worm his way in and fuck you."

"He was adamant about that not being the case," I say as I get to the physical contact part of the contract. "Come here," I tell Jake. He eyes me for a moment before moving to stand behind me and read over my shoulder.

"Right here, it says, 'Mr. Cullen will not, under any circumstances, initiate any physical contact with Miss. Swan with the exception of holding Miss. Swan's hand in the presence of others in order to keep the appearance that their relationship is authentic. If at any time, Miss. Swan states that Mr. Cullen has violated these terms, this contract will be null and void and Miss. Swan and Mr. Black will keep the $500,000 stated earlier in the terms and conditions clause. Any physical contact outside of holding hands must be initiated by Miss. Swan. If Mr. Cullen desires any contact outside of the terms listed above, he must gain Miss. Swan's verbal permission before proceeding with agreed upon contact.'"

"What are you saying, Bella?" he asks. I stand up and turn around to face him.

"I'm not sure," I tell him. "I don't know how I feel about this. I mean, we are engaged and I…." I trail off because I don't know what to say. I really want to hear what Jacob thinks. "What do you think about all this?" I hold the contract up at him.

He's quiet for a moment before answering me. "I think you should keep reading it, find out what the rest of it says." His answer surprises me to the core. "After all, it's half a million dollars, Bella. We could do so much with it and we wouldn't have to pay it back."

Out of all the things I thought he would say, that was the last thing I would have expected. "Okay," I tell him. My voice is small even to my own ears.

Slipping back into lawyer mode, I continue to read. There is a clause where he gives me a clothing stipend to spend on dresses for events and outdoor activities. One section discusses me being able to use whatever car he owns, or if I prefer it, he will rent me one that is not as ostentatious as his are. Another one talks about having a lock on the door to his guest room and me having the only key to make myself comfortable. And in the unlikely event of a member of his family staying the night, he will sleep in his own bathtub in the bathroom attached to his room and allow me to lock that door as well. It is a very detailed contract and as I read over each section, I break it down and explain it to Jake in a sort of detached voice.

By the time I am done, it is an hour later and my head hurts. I close my eyes and begin to rub my neck to try and relieve some of the pain that is radiating from it.

"I trust you, Bella." I look up and see that Jake looks incredibly determined. "We have been together for 8 years and you have never given me any reason not to trust you. I've never suspected that you cheated on me."

"That's because I never have. I love you, Jake."

"And I know that. That's why I think you should do it."

I can feel my eyes widen as surprise rolls through my body. "What?"

He walks over to where I am sitting and gets on his knees in front of me, grabbing my hands. "Think about everything we could do with that extra money. I would have the best garage in the tri-county area with the best tools. And, I would be able to charge less because we wouldn't have to pay back the half a mil."

"But Jake…"

"No, just listen for a minute." He cuts in. "It's only a month. In the grand scheme of things, is that really all that long when we are going to spend the rest of our lives together? You get to come down here and schmooze with rich people, drink and eat fancy food, and all you have to do is spend time with this lonely rich fucker. I mean, he'll probably be gone most of the time anyway. These kinds of guys work 24/7. It's how he's able to afford all those cars and why he has to hire people to pretend to like him."

There is a sort of excitement in his big brown eyes and that bothers me. "So, you'd have me leave you for a month and pretend to be his girlfriend? And did you forget the last part? I wouldn't be able to contact you, nor you me."

"And that is where trust comes in." Jake nods. "I mean, I'll miss you like crazy but it's understandable. He probably doesn't want his friends and family to catch you having phone sex with me." He wiggles his brows at me. "And when the month is over, we get one hell of a start to our life together and get to have lots of sex to make up for lost time."

I can see his point. That's a lot of money to have without having to pay it back. But the fact that he's not upset or offended by Edward's suggestion and is actually encouraging it, it's hurtful.

"But we could still do so much with the $475,000, Jake, that he offered. That's more than enough to get us started."

"But not as much as we could with $975,000!" he emphasizes. "Just saying that amount is enough to raise goosebumps on my skin. Look!" He shoves his arm at me and sure enough, there are goosebumps.

"We can stretch the $475,000 so far if we are careful with it. Maybe buy some used tools or not have as many work bays…"

"But why limit the business like that if we don't have to?" he asks. "If we agree to this, we'd be set for years and it will only cost a month."

I pull my hands from his and stand up slowly, walking to the window and looking out. My mind is racing and can't seem to settle on one train of thought for more than a few seconds. Part of me is somewhat offended by the whole idea, but at the same time, it's not like he's asking for sex from me. He's only asking for me to hold his hand and pretend to be his girlfriend. If you were to ask me, the amount of money he is offering for me to do this is excessive.

The biggest issue I could foresee with this whole arrangement is with Jacob getting jealous, but looking at him now, he doesn't seem to be worried about that aspect at all. It's like he's not even remotely jealous of the thought of me spending so much time with someone as rich and handsome as Edward.

He must really trust me.

"Okay. If that is what you think is best. I'll do it." Although my voice is small and quiet, it's as if I've just shouted that statement in the absolute quiet of the room.

Jake seems to sense the hesitation in my words. He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, pressing his body against my back. "Everything will be fine, Bella. This will set us up for the rest of our lives. It's a small sacrifice."

I want to tell him that he's not the one sacrificing anything. That it's me who will be parading around and lying. It will be me who is being eaten up with guilt as I'm holding Edward's hand and lying to his family.

"Are you sure? I know it's a lot of money but…."

"It's more than a lot of money. It's a ton of it." Jake cuts me off. "And we will be fine. There are eight years of our relationship to prove it."

I bring my hands together in front of me and look down at the small solitaire engagement ring as I spin it in circles. I'll have to leave it behind. It'll feel weird not to have it there after four long years.

Unlatching Jake's arms from around me, I move back to Edward's desk and sit back in my chair. I reach for a pen not far away and place it on the paper where my signature is required. I hesitate for a moment and look back to Jake. After he gives me an encouraging nod, I take a deep breath and sign my name.

I can see Jake move to the door from the corner of my eye. He opens it and sticks his head out, telling Mr. Spencer, who is waiting just outside, that we are ready. "I'll inform Mr. Cullen." He says.

Seconds later, there are two sets of footsteps that are quickly approaching the room. I grab the contract and stand up, looking to the door. Jake has moved back to my side and is barely containing the grin that is trying to break free.

Edward moves into the room, his face stoic as he surveys the atmosphere. He looks between the two of us for a moment. "Have you come to a decision?" he asks.

Feeling my heart pounding in my ears, I step forward on slightly shaky legs and hand him the signed contract. The moment he sees my signature, the most incredible smile lights up his face. His eyes move to mine and I am monetarily stunned by his beauty. I think my heart actually skips a beat. His happiness at my acceptance of his offer is so genuine and yet, so surprising.

"You won't regret this, Isabella," Edward says, taking a step closer to me. He reaches out and picks up my hand, placing a kiss on my knuckles.

"I thought you couldn't touch her?" Jake states.

"The terms are only valid within the time frame stated in the contract," I tell him. "It's okay though. I think that is an acceptable thing that a boyfriend would do to his girlfriend and I wouldn't classify that as cheating. Would you, Jake?"

"No. But I don't like it." Jake states with a little sour note to his tone.

"Well, unfortunately, the contract is between Miss. Swan and Mr. Cullen, Mr. Black. Your thoughts and opinions are irrelevant." His lawyer says. "The terms will be set by the two parties in agreement."

"And when does this start?" Jake asks, pointing to the contract in Edward's hands.

"The contract begins this upcoming Friday at noon." Mr. Spencer states. "There is a charity ball Saturday night that Miss. Swan will attend."

"Which reminds me…" Edward says, moving around us and back behind his desk. He opens a drawer and pulls out a small card. Walking back over to me, he hands it to me. "I've taken the liberty to call ahead at this clothing boutique and told them to expect you. They have all my information and will charge whatever you choose to get to an account I've set up there."

"Well, that was presumptuous," I say.

"I like to think of it as being prepared." He replies easily. A soft smile spreads his lips, revealing a tiny, almost imperceptible dimpling of his right cheek.

"Right." Jake cuts in, moving closer to me and placing his hand on my lower back. "Why don't we wrap this up? Bella has to go inform her bosses that she is leaving them for a month."

"I should probably just quit. Especially now that I finished my law degree yesterday."

"That's incredible! Congratulations Bella!" Edward says excitedly. His takes up half his face. "What are your plans to celebrate?"

"We don't have any," I say lowly, wanting to escape the subject, remembering that Jake and I were fighting about that very topic before coming here. "Why don't we finish up this meeting; sign some contracts?" I turn and sit, pulling Jake down with me. "Apparently, I have a lot to do."

* * *

 _She signed! What do you think of how it happened and the terms of the contract? And do you think Edward will try and find a way around his own terms or will he be the picture of a gentleman?_

 _Don't forget to **follow** and **review** and thanks so much for reading my story!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

* * *

I check the detailed schedule that Edward gave me before Jake and I left for the millionth time. 'Musical Children's Annual Charity Ball' is only three days away. It's Wednesday and I am driving to Seattle to buy a dress for it in an hour. I check my bags one last time, making sure I have everything of mine because I'm not coming back. I'm going to stay in Seattle for the next two nights in a hotel as I shop for the things I need for my stay with Edward.

Jake comes bursting in the door, grease stains covering his hands, arms, and face. It's a sight I've seen for the past eight years. He's on his lunch break and has come by to see me off. He's going to come stay with me at the hotel Thursday night and see me off Friday morning before having to drive back here to work the late shift at the garage.

"I'll be so glad when I can finally make my own schedule." He murmurs, going to the sink in the kitchen so he can wash his hands.

"Just one more month until we start planning." I remind him. "I'll be back before you know it and we can start looking for a place for the garage. The first half of the money is supposed to be deposited into our account Friday morning and you can start counting the 30 days till you don't have to work for Joey anymore."

I mentally recall what Edward said about him turning down offers from the other garages but decide not to bring it up. I don't want to fight with him just before I leave.

"I'm already counting." He chuckles, drying his hands on a towel.

"Well, I'm all packed. There is really only one thing left to do." I look down at my engagement ring and slip it off my finger, my heart breaking a tiny bit with the action. My eyes sting and a small tear makes it way out of my eye. I reach out and hand it over to him. "Just put it in my sock drawer in the little zip pouch in there." It's where I put everything of value I have, not that there is a lot of that.

"I know," Jake says, taking my hand after he sets it on the kitchen counter. He sees the wetness on my cheek and brings his thumb up to rub it away. "Everything will be fine. This month will go by so fast. Don't' worry about me, okay? Just try and enjoy a taste of the good life."

"I already live the good life," I tell him vehemently. "I don't need all that stuff to make me happy. I just need the man I love and a roof over my head. It's all I've ever wanted."

He pulls me in for a kiss and I can feel everything we want to say each other in it. _I'll miss you. Everything will be okay. I'll be waiting for you._ He pulls back. "I'll help you carry out your bags and I'll be down there tomorrow night."

* * *

Entering the boutique on the list I was emailed, I barely see any clothing. All I can see are two racks of sparse clothing, a desk, and two chairs. Before I can go back outside to make sure I'm at the correct address, a tall red-headed woman comes from a door in the back with a wide smile. "Welcome to my shop. I'm Siobhan. How may I help you?"

"I'm Bella. Nice to meet you." I shake her proffered hand. "Um…I need to find a dress for a charity event on Saturday. I know it's short notice, but I've only known for a few days. I think this is the right place; where I am supposed to go."

"Which event?" she asks.

"Musical Children's Annual Ball."

"You wouldn't happen to be who Mr. Cullen called about, would you? Miss. Swan?"

My cheeks flame a bright red. "Yes, I am."

"That's wonderful. Why don't you follow me and we'll get started." She motions for me to follow her, leading me to the back of the store and through the door she came through. Once the door is shut behind me, I look up and see a room filled with a seemingly never-ending selection of gowns, organized by color. It looks like a rainbow, the colors organized by the ROYGBIV spectrum.

"Now," Siobhan says as she spins around. "You already have a spectacular figure, so I don't have to worry about anything I have being too small. Is there any specific color that you would like to try?"

"Can I just look around for a moment?" I ask, moving to where I see a beautiful white dress at the beginning of the room.

"Of course."

I only get to the color green in the spectrum before I decide I have too many dresses to try on. I look up sheepishly as Siobhan watches me with a friendly smile. "Everything is just so beautiful."

"Thank you so much, Bella. I'm glad that you like my designs."

"Oh my gosh. You designed all these?" I look around the room and over at the dresses I've picked out, hanging by a large dressing room. "That's incredible. You have such a talent."

"Or so they say." Siobhan waves her hand flippantly and with a roll of her eyes. "I just make what my mind thinks up when I'm daydreaming. People make too big of a deal out of clothes in my opinion."

I smile at her, liking her more and more by the minute. "I guess I should probably try those on before I get ahead of myself." I nod to the dresses I've picked out.

Twenty minutes later and I still can't decide between three dresses. I like the color of one but not the fit. Another one the cut is great, but the color almost blends in with my skin. The last one is just too beautiful to not keep in the running, even though it's not completely in keeping with my personality.

"May I bring you something to try on?" Siobhan asks softly as I stare at the dresses in my underwear. All of my modesty went out of the window by the fifth dress she helped me put on.

"Of course. Maybe you can figure out what I'm missing."

She disappears on the other side of the door and comes back only half a minute later. "I thought of this dress for you the moment I saw you." I'm mesmerized when she pulls out a blue dress covered in a very delicate lace.

"Wow. That is beautiful." I whisper in reverence of the piece of art in front of me. "I really need to try this on….like, as soon as possible."

Siobhan chuckles and begins to help me into it. Once on, I look in the mirror and barely recognize myself. It's form fitting, hugging my curves till it flares out slightly at my knees, the material hanging down till it pools at the floor. The neckline is low but still very classy. The lacy straps rest on the edges of my shoulders and the material dips down in the back, exposing my skin to just below the middle of my back.

"The color is absolutely stunning on you." Siobhan states.

"Thank you. I couldn't agree more." I smile as I turn in the mirror. "I think this is the one."

"I agree 110%. I'll have it wrapped for you and sent to Mr. Cullen's home."

I'm momentarily surprised by her statement before my brain catches up with me. "Yes. That's where I need it to be sent."

* * *

 _Friday morning…_

Jake drags his hand down my back once more as he kisses me. He's still shirtless while I'm completely dressed and trying to leave. "I have to go, Jake," I tell him, pulling away from him. No matter how hard I've tried, I can't stop thinking about the job opportunities he turned down. I hate to admit that I have been letting it fester there since Edward mentioned it. I know I should have said something but I...

"Why are you in such a hurry?" he asks.

"Because I have to be there in 45 minutes. I really need to leave if I'm going to make it on time."

He rolls his eyes at me and huffs out an annoyed breath. I don't know why, but those two little actions push me over the edge. I snap. "Why did you just do that?" I ask him. My voice is hard and terse. "You know what time the contract starts. After all, you were the one encouraging me to sign it."

"That's only because we really need that money."

"If you were so worried about money, then you would have taken some of the jobs you were offered in Port Angeles!"

He rolls his eyes again. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you brought that up." I glare at him, too upset to speak. "I didn't see the point in telling you about the offers because I didn't want to give up the senior position I have at Joey's."

"But if the offer was more money, then it would be a step up, no matter what title was on your work jumper. You would have had more exposure and with your talent, you would have been able to move up quickly in the ranks." I sigh, trying to expel some of my anger. "But the main reason I'm mad is because you never even told me about them. Never discussed the pros and cons with me."

"That's because, at the end of the day, I'd be the one that would make the decision because I was the one who was offered the job."

"So, you're saying that my opinion, in the long run, doesn't matter?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all." He sounds mad now, his tone turning bitter. "What I'm trying to say is that I would be too far away from my dad. I wouldn't be able to run back to his place for lunch or check on him."

"Well, what do you think is going to happen when we open a garage in Port Angeles? That has always been the plan." I'm trying hard to keep my cool because his reasoning is so flawed it's childish. "Plus, he has a phone. If he needed something, he could call. He's not a complete invalid. He's in a wheelchair. You baby him too much."

"None of that matters now because now that we have all that extra money, we can get a bigger place where he can move in with us. That way, I won't have to worry about him being on his own."

My eyes blow wide. This revelation has the ability to completely stun me. _Not once_ has Jake ever mentioned his dad moving in with us. My mouth opens and closes a bunch as I try to push words out of my mouth.

"I figured we'd talk about the details once you got back." He says.

"You have _never_ mentioned your dad moving in, Jake. I'm really not okay with that." I run my hand through my hair and take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "I love Billy, I really do. You know that. But I don't think it would be good for any of us if he were to move in with you and me."

The thought of Billy giving me daggers every time Jake and I had a fight was not my idea of a relaxing home environment.

"Listen," he says, moving towards me and grabbing my hands. His voice is soft and his eyes are apologetic. "We don't have to talk about this now. We can discuss everything when you get back. I don't want to part on bad terms."

"Neither do I." I close my eyes and try to let go of my anger. "But I do want you to know that I want to talk about all this when I get back. You can't just make decisions for us without consulting me."

"But I know you better than anyone. I know what you want and…."

"Shhh, Jake. No more. It has wait because I really have to go." Resting my forehead on his bare chest, I breathe deep, taking in his musky scent. Heaven knows there is so much more I want to say but I'm probably already going to be late. Instead, I wrap my arms around his waist. "I'll miss you like crazy."

"Ditto." He says softly. His hand comes up, his fingers finding my chin and pulling it up. He places a few chaste kisses on my lips before stepping back. "Just let me put a shirt on and I'll walk you down."

* * *

 _I know this is a short chapter but that's because my seven-year-old accidentally deleted HALF of my documents when she was trying to do homework on my computer. There was a whole 6,000 more words to this chapter but no matter what I did (I even contacted Microsoft Word Support and they tried to recover them), I couldn't recover the documents. I might have cried...a lot. I lost about 20-25 hours of work._

 _So, that being said, I will be slaving away on the computer for a long time and will try my best to have another chapter up by the end of the weekend. Sorry this one couldn't be longer but it was all I was all I had left. :'(_

 _Anyway, thanks so much for reading and don't forget to **follow and review**!_

 _ **Btw, thanks so much for recommending my story, SunflowFran.** **You are a GODDESS!**_

 _Up next, Bella arrives at Edward's home and they get to know each other better. Maybe her walls come down some?_


	7. Chapter 7

_Edward and Bella are just getting to know one another in this chapter._

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

Leaving Jake was harder than I thought it would be and as I drove to Edward's, I began to feel nervous. Guilt was starting to build up inside of me. I don't know why because it's not like I was actually going to be cheating on him, but the illusion of cheating would be there. And it's not like I could talk to Alice about this. All she knew was that I was going to Seattle for an internship with a big law firm. I wish so bad that I could get her opinion on all of this, but I can't.

Pulling up to the gate at Edwards house, I roll down my window and stop in front of the keypad.

"How may I help you?" I hear Edward's voice.

"Um, hi. It's me. I mean, it's Bella." I say. "I mean, Isabella Swan."

I groan at myself and close my eyes. Why do I have to sound like such a bumbling idiot?

I hear his laughter as the gate opens. "Hi, Bella. Just drive up and park in my garage. There is a spot to your left when you pull in."

"Okay." I start my trek down the long and winding driveway, my truck groaning and heaving with every S curve and hill.

Just like the last two times I was here, I smile as I look around at the beauty of the forest surrounding the drive and then at his perfect home when it comes into view. By the time I pull into the garage off to the left of the house, I start to worry about my truck. What if he doesn't want this old rusted thing in the same space as his other beautiful cars? I could park it off to the side...

I start to veer off the driveway but change my mind at the last second when I catch sight of a cleared spot in his garage. I pull into the large pristine building and park my behemoth next to the beautiful black Ferrari I admired when I first came here.

I turn off the truck and tuck the keys in my pocket then grab my luggage. It's heavy and when I pull it out, it crashes to the ground and takes me with it. "Ommph!"

"Bella?" I hear Edward call out.

My eyes widen with horror and I stand up quickly, trying not to let him see that I busted my ass. It would be so embarrassing if he knew something as ridiculous as luggage could take me out. I hear bare feet slapping against the polished floor and look over the bed of my truck towards the back of the garage.

Edward smiles easily when we make eye contact. I'm surprised to see he is just in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt...and barefoot. I don't know why, but I expected him to be in a suit. Seeing him like this is really...refreshing. And somewhat disarming. He's much more relatable and approachable like this.

 _And much more delicious looking with the way that white shirt hugs his chest._

I have to swallow before I can speak. "Hey."

He rounds the back of my truck then and looks down at the luggage by my feet. "I should have come out here sooner. I should have gotten your bags down for you." He walks over and grabs my two bags from the ground. "It's perfectly fine. I managed." I lie smoothly.

He gives me a dubious look and now I'm worried that he saw me bust my ass.

 _Please don't let him have seen._ I would be mortified.

"Come on. Let's get inside and get you settled." He smiles and nods for me to follow him.

He leads me out of the door he came through at the back and onto a grey stone path that leads back to his house. There is beautiful foliage that lines the path along with small solar lights. Looking to my right, I see thick forest and then after we turn a small corner, it opens up and I can see the river down below. The views are simply stunning.

"Here we are," Edward says when we reach the house. He smiles back at me before opening the door and motioning for me to go first.

Coming from this direction, we pass his office on the left and a closed door and a staircase leading down on the right. I keep going till we reach the living room and I can't help but stop and turn towards the back of the house, looking out of the back wall. I suspect that no matter how many times I see it, the view from here will still knock my socks off.

On the wall to my right, there is a sleek television hanging and a small entertainment cabinet below it. In the middle of the room is a beautiful crème colored sectional couch that looks like it would swallow me whole if I were to sit on it. I can see the kitchen to my left on the other side of a half-wall that separates it from the living area. There is a small portion of it sticking out of the back and opening up to the glass wall where a small table for everyday eating is.

"Your room is this way," Edward says after a moment and I follow him past the kitchen. He stops at a room on the left with a window that overlooks the front of the house. "I got this room ready for you because I didn't know if you would like to stay in my other guest room across the hall. Some people don't like the idea of sleeping in a room where a whole wall is a window."

"I'm not one of those people," I tell him, excited by the prospect of waking up to that stunning view every morning.

He smiles down at me. "I had a feeling you wouldn't be. That's why I prepared both rooms for you."

I follow him across the hall and gasp when I see the new room. He lets me move inside and it's _beautiful_. It's not an overly large room, just big enough to have a king sized bed on the wall to the right, a chest of drawers along the entry wall, and a cozy chair that looks like it would be perfect for reading in the corner where the glass wall meets the wall on the left.

The other three walls are covered in beautiful teak wood planks that run slanted on a diagonal down to the floor. The linens are the same crème color as his couch but there is a vibrant splash of color coming from the pillows on the bed. It's clear that the centerpiece of the room was to be the view.

Edward clears his throat and points to the left wall where a door is. "This is your bathroom. There is a closet inside there and a linen closet with towels and other toiletries." He walks in and sets my luggage down by the chair in the corner. "So, is this okay?" he asks sounding a tad unsure.

Even though the responding smile on my face gives him my answer, I still say, "It's more than okay."

"Good." He smiles back. "Are you hungry? I was just about to make some gyros for lunch."

I should say no and start to unpack my things to keep my distance, but I really _am_ hungry. I didn't get to eat breakfast this morning because of Jake. He barely let me out of the bed and then when we did finally get out and dressed, we fought and I forgot about eating.

"That sounds good. I'm pretty hungry."

He smiles like he has been doing every time he looks at me, and motions for me to follow him.

He leads me to the kitchen and I get to take in all the beautiful details. There is a large island in the middle of the room with a marble waterfall countertop. The cabinets are the same color as the teak wood in my room and are beautiful. There is a professional looking range and oven combo and an oversized fridge where he is pulling out food. "I hope you don't mind leftovers." He looks sheepishly at me. "I made these gyros last night but like I always do, I made too much."

"I don't mind at all." He opens a container with some meat that I think is lamb and starts making two gyros. "That smells delicious."

"Thanks. I'm still trying to learn how to cook via YouTube."

"YouTube?" I ask, scrunching my nose.

"Of course." He says with mirth. "Didn't you know? Cookbooks are _so_ last century."

I smile and let out a small laugh. "That's right. I forgot."

I look around for a second. I completely expected him to have a cook or a butler or _someone_ here to do things for him.

"You thought I would have a cook, didn't you?" he asks, smirking as he slides a plate with a gyro on it over to me.

I blush profusely. "Maybe." I shrug. I hate that what I was thinking was so obvious. It's embarrassing for me.

"No thanks." He says, shaking his head and furrowing his brows. He takes a bite of his food before talking again. "My home is _my home_. It's the only place I can have real privacy. I couldn't relax if someone was walking around doing things for me while I sat on the sofa and watched a movie."

"I know, right?" I say. "I mean, I couldn't have someone watching me while I sat in my pajamas, waiting for me to do something embarrassing like pick my nose or talk on the phone with my mom, secretly judging me and thinking I'm lazy because they were doing all the work."

He laughs. "I told my mom the same thing about picking my nose when she suggested I hire someone to manage the house. I like privacy when I pick my nose."

I laugh and almost choke on a bite of food. Thankfully, Edward didn't notice.

"How is the food?" he asks.

"It's good."

"You're not just saying that to protect my feelings, are you?" he asks.

I just shrug and smirk. "Maybe. I guess there's no way for you to know for sure."

Edward gives me a cheeky grin before taking another bite of his food.

We are quiet for a few minutes while we eat. It's not awkward, thankfully, and it's quite comfortable. I'm trying my best not to look at him while I think he is doing the opposite. I feel him looking at me almost the whole time.

It doesn't make me feel uncomfortable like it should, being an engaged woman.

When I am done, I look over to him and he's smiling as he looks down at my clean plate. "I guess it was good."

"Dammit," I say, playfully glaring at him. "I'm usually good at bluffing."

"You might be if the delicious food that I made wasn't involved."

"True," I answer.

"Why don't we go into the living room and get to know each other better? You know, since you are supposed to be my girlfriend for the next month."

"Okay...boyfriend," I tell him. His eyes sparkle at me for just a fraction of a second before he looks away, the smile that was on his face slipping slightly.

I follow him and watch as he practically disappears when he sits on his couch. It looks like my assumption about the furniture's comfort was correct. I sit diagonally from him on the other side of the sectional, but not too far to where a conversation would be unnatural. I slip my shoes off and curl up, sinking deep into the cushions.

"Alright, what do you want to know?" I ask him.

"Well, I already know that your father is the police chief of Forks and you take pride in working and the fact that you put yourself through law school without crippling debt, and at the top of your class to boot. You're loyal and seem to be very forgiving. Not to mention, you're not afraid to do what needs to be done to accomplish what you want."

"Like what?" I ask. "Go to school?"

"Calling me when Mr. Black's loan fell through."

I shake my head. "I don't think that was necessarily noteworthy."

"It was. Most people are intimidated by me because of my success. But not you." He studies me for a moment and I have to look away.

I want to tell him that he's wrong and that he does intimidate me. Instead, I feign nonchalance and pretend that when he looks at me like that, it doesn't affect me. "All I did was make a phone call." When I force myself to look back up at him, his eyes are dark.

"So, tell me more about yourself. Leave nothing out." He gives me an encouraging smile. "You've been nothing but intriguing so far. You're not like anyone I've ever known."

I scoff lightly and say under my breath. _Yeah, sure._ I study him for a moment before I start. "Okay. But prepared to be bored. There are a million stories just like the one I'm about to tell you." I take a deep breath as he waits. "My parents divorced before my first birthday and I moved with my mom to Phoenix. I grew up there until I was 16 when my mom remarried a minor league baseball player. He traveled a lot but she stayed home with me when he left. I saw how much she missed him when he was gone so I decided to move up here with my dad so she could go with him."

"That's what I'm talking about." He says softly. "You are not like anyone else I've ever met. You probably sacrificed so much when you moved from the place where you grew up, leaving friends behind and moving to a place you probably hardly ever came. And you did at the time in life when we are most selfish; when we're teenagers."

I shake my head. "I don't see it that way," I tell him. "My mom deserved to be happy and I love my dad. We are very similar so living with him was always easy. Actually, the most difficult thing was adjusting to the rain after living in a desert my whole life. Plus, everything everywhere I looked was just so _green_. There was no escape from the greenness."

Edward laughs heartily at this statement. "The greenness bothered you?"

"It did."

"Duly noted. No green."

"No, I like green. Just not too much." I say.

"Alright. Not _too much_ green."

"What about you? Where did you go to college?" I ask, wanting him to do some talking.

"I went to the University of Washington for two years before I dropped out."

"You dropped out?" I'm surprised. "Why did you drop out?"

"Because they weren't teaching me anything that I didn't already know," he says with a shrug. "I had already bought all of the required textbooks for my degree and read them all. I didn't see the point in paying to go to class just to have a professor read back to me what I already read in the books. Anyway, by that point in time, my company had just really started to take off."

"I guess I never looked at it that way," I say. "Theoretically, you don't really need the professors if there are books that cover what they teach. You would just have to sacrifice the little piece of paper that says you have a degree."

"Exactly. So, I dropped out and applied what I had read." He fiddles with a stray string on his pants while he talks. "I love to read so I just absorbed all the information and it seemed to work."

"You like to read?"

"No. I love to read." He smiles at me.

"Me too. What are some of your favorites?" I'm curious to know if we have similar tastes in books.

He tells me about how one of his first favorites from when he was young was Moby Dick. He admitted that it was the first time that he didn't know how he wanted it to end; if he wanted the whale or Captain Ahab to win out. He then tells me about his biological mother and how she was a musician. He regretted how he hated it so much when she would make him learn to play the piano and how now, he'll never get to thank her for forcing him to learn.

When he talks about his little brother Emmett, he can't seem to stop smiling. Edward tells me about how he moved in about a year after he did and how he hated him at first. Emmett would apparently lurk around the house and wait for Edward to walk by and then he would pounce on him and wrestle him to the ground or just scare him to death by yelling loudly. Even though he says he hated it and hated Emmett at first, it's clear that that's not true by the permanent smile on his lips.

He doesn't mention his little sister that died though.

We talk about my biggest fear (spiders) and he tells me that he's not exactly thrilled with snakes. When I ask him if he is afraid of them, he very unconvincingly scoffs and says 'no' adamantly. I have to bite my bottom lip hard to keep from giggling at his poor attempt at nonchalance.

I tell him about Alice and how I had a rough start in school here because of my nemesis Jessica Stanley. When I talk about my rusted old truck, he asks me endless questions, surprised and fascinated by the fact that I loved it at first sight.

When the light in the room starts to dim, I look out of the back wall, surprised to see the sun hanging low in the sky. "Wow. It's getting dark. What time is it?" I reach down beside me to grab my phone and realize that I left it in the bedroom when I first got here and I am just now realizing it. _Wow._

He looks towards the television and I see a little digital clock right below it attached to some sort of receiver. "It's almost 6:30."

"I didn't realize how long we've been sitting here talking," I say. Now that I'm thinking about it, my throat is dry and aching and my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much.

 _And I didn't think about Jake once._

Guilt washes over me with that thought.

"Me either." He's smiling at me with such warmth that I look away. "Why don't I show you downstairs since I didn't do that earlier?"

I look back and give him a nod. "Okay."

He stands up, but when I try to disentangle myself from the cushions, I fail miserably. Edward reaches out and offers his hand for help. "Thanks," I tell him as I take it. When our skin touches, that annoying current zings up my arm again. I both hate it and love it at the same time.

"I think your couch was trying to eat me." I laugh as he lets go of my hand once I am standing next to him.

"Can you blame it? You look delicious."

I just roll my eyes and give him a reluctant smile. "Lead the way, Casanova. But I feel like I should tell you that you need to work on your pick-up lines. If you are going to go around telling women that they look delicious, you might get smacked."

"Trust me, I've never said that to anyone but you and the reason I said it to you is mainly because it's true."

I reach behind me and pull my hair over my shoulder, shielding my face in hopes to cover the blush that is spreading. He can't know he affects me. "Where are we going?"

"This way." He says and starts down the hall where my room is.

There is a big opening at the end of the hall that I noticed before and I was curious as to what was down there. When it becomes obvious that is where he is going, I get excited.

When we reach the end of the hall, I look to my left and gasp lowly. I don't think he heard me thankfully. "That is my library."

There is no door on the room, just an oversized entry. Every wall is a built-in bookshelf that is overflowing with books. There is a cushioned window seat that overlooks the front of the house and a huge chair that looks like it belongs with the sectional that tried to swallow me whole. The smell of parchment calls to me.

Before I can move inside the room, he is leading me to the other side of the hall. There is a wide opening that leads into the most beautiful room. Not one, but two of the walls are made of glass. There is a door tucked into the corner of the room that leads out to a deck that runs all the way along the back of the house. From this vantage point, it actually looks like you are suspended in the tops of the trees.

But that doesn't catch my eye for long.

There is a beautiful black grand piano in the middle of the room. There is no furniture, no pictures, no anything except for the piano sitting on a slick whitewashed wood floor. I can't help but move closer to the piano. My hand reaches out of its own accord and my fingers slide along the sleek lines of the black lacquered instrument. "This is beautiful, Edward," I whisper.

When I look back over to him, he is standing by a staircase with his hands stuffed into his jean pockets. "It was my mother's. She taught me to play on that piano. She saved for almost 10 years to afford it." He smiles as his eyes drift off and he's clearly reminiscing.

I smile at the contented look on his face. "Would you play something for me?" The moment the words are out of my mouth, I regret saying them. He brings one of his hands up and rubs the back of his neck. There is suddenly this nervous energy that is radiating from him. "Please don't feel like you have to say yes."

He lets out a sigh of relief. "It's just that I don't usually play with anyone here. Just for myself to relax. No one has heard me play in a very long time." He looks sheepishly at me.

Even though my curiosity is raging, wanting to ask him why that is, I beat it down with an iron hammer. "I understand." I give him my best encouraging smile and walk over to the stairs behind him. "This way?" I ask.

"Yes."

I take the steps slowly and end up in a game/theater room that looks like it's the size of his whole house. Once again, the whole back wall is made of glass. The one difference is that the glass down here is a series of doors that look they fold like an accordion, making it possible to open up the whole downstairs. There is a small pool and a large hot tub in a small backyard that I didn't notice from upstairs, probably because I was too mesmerized by the view.

Turning around, I see a pool table, old arcade games lining the walls, and a large projection screen with every gaming system known to man sitting in an entertainment cabinet below. I smile at the couch under the screen. It looks very similar to the one upstairs.

"This is my entertainment area." He tells me as he passes. "Over here is a small home gym."

He walks over to a door on the other side of the room and inside is a treadmill, a bike, a weightlifting bench, and a couple of other pieces of workout equipment. "You can find me in here most mornings."

I nod and look over his shoulder at another set of stairs. "Those lead to right beside my bedroom and across from my office."

I remember seeing stairs to my right when I first walked in. This must be those.

"Would you like to maybe do something down here while I make some dinner?" he asks.

My bottom lips tucks itself under my top row of teeth as all I'm able to think about his library. "Actually, would you mind if I went upstairs and perused your library?"

He breaks out into a wide grin as he shakes his head in disbelief. "Just when I think I have you pegged, you go and do or say something that surprises me. You, Bella Swan, are like no one I've met before."

I roll my eyes. "I find that truly hard to believe."

"Out of all the things I've shown you, you want to go and see my library. No one has _ever_ asked to see my library. Just like how you were more interested in my old truck than my other rare cars. You pick the one thing that will reveal something personal about me; my reading preferences."

I didn't even think about it like that. I can't do anything but shrug. His eyes are boring into mine and I can't look away. "I just really like to read. I want to see if you have any books that I haven't read before." I finally am able to move my eyes, but not very far. They find his lips and stay there. "Plus, now that you mentioned about your reading preferences being personal, I'm really curious."

I smirk when he does.

"Alright. Lead the way, then." He says and motions for me to go up the stairs in the gym.

He isn't far behind and I wonder if he suggested I go first because he wanted to look at my ass. Surprisingly, I don't mind that thought and I may even sway my hips a little.

 _What the hell is wrong with you?_ I think to myself and shake my head, clearing that line of thinking.

Now that I am more familiar with the layout, I walk across the length of the house, moving a little quicker than usual in my excitement to get to his library. Once there, I take a deep breath before moving inside. "I love the smell of books."

"Me too." He says from close behind me. "I have an e-reader but it's just not the same as having the book in your hands and smelling the pages."

"I agree," I say as I turn to face him. "How are they organized?" I ask as I look around, finding no rhyme or reason to the layout.

He moves to the right and points to the wall of books there. "This wall is pretty much nothing but informational books and textbooks. The stock market, investing…boring topics." He rubs the back of his neck nervously as he moves to another wall. "These are arranged by genre and then by preference within that genre."

I move to the books and he keeps talking as I run my fingers along the spines of the books. "Sci-fi, horror, romance, biographies, suspense, action, mystery...I have a bit of everything. I have more in the attic though."

I turn to face him with my brows raised with shock. "You have more books?" I ask him. "There must be over a thousand in here."

"1,800 to be exact." He smiles unsurely. "I can't seem to _not_ buy books. I might have a problem. At least that is what my brother tells me."

I laugh lightly. "I wish I had more money to spend on books. I usually just borrow some from my friend Angela. But my favorites I own."

I turn back to his books and start reading the titles in the romance section. Just when I am almost to the end, I find one of my favorites. "You've read Wuthering Heights?"

His brows furrow. "Twice. But I don't really understand Heathcliff. I don't understand his appeal. The characters in the book, especially Heathcliff, always make the worst decisions. He never thinks anything through."

"But that's the beauty of the story, though. Love makes us do crazy, irrational things, doesn't it?" I say to him.

"I wouldn't really know." He scratches the back of his head and shrugs his shoulders.

"You wouldn't?" I ask surprised. "You've never been in love?"

"No. At least not yet." He says.

His eyes are trained on me and they feel like ten-ton weights, pinning me to this particular spot on the floor.

"But you've had girlfriends before, right?"

"Only two." He says, his green eyes smoldering. "But they weren't what I was looking for. Not even close."

I really want to ask him what he's looking for, but I don't. _I can't_. I have to bite my tongue inside my mouth to keep from asking because I'm not sure I really want the answer to that question.

 _I know he'll say me._

The air is starting to feel heavy and I know I have to say something...

My stomach growls and we both look down at it.

 _Oh, thank God. I don't know how much longer I could take him looking at me like that._

I giggle. "Apparently, I'm hungry."

He laughs once and says, "Come on. Let's go figure out what's in the fridge and make some dinner." As he's leaving the library, he surprises me by grabbing my hand and pulling me behind him.

I should pull my hand back to myself, but I don't. I don't because I don't want to.

 _And that scares the hell out of me._

* * *

 _Bella is in so much trouble and I think she is starting to realize it. Up next, the charity ball!_

 _Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to **follow** and **review**! Tell me what you think._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

* * *

I haven't seen much of Edward today. I heard him in his office speaking to someone on the phone when I passed by. I might or might not have been wondering where he was.

After finding some cereal in the kitchen, I ate and then went down to the gym to work out. I haven't been able to go to the gym much this past year, but I have managed to keep running three times a week.

 _And maybe I was hoping he would come down and join me._

I ran for 30 minutes before trying out the bike for 10 and then the weightlifting bench for .2 seconds. I remembered that I know better than to bench anything without someone around to spot you.

When I was done, I went up to my room and showered in the ensuite. By the time I was done, it was only 10:45. Since I didn't have to be ready to go to the charity ball until 7:00 this evening, I decided to go and pick out a book from the library and maybe go out onto the deck out back and read. It was such a beautiful day, only a month away from summer, and I didn't want to waste it by being inside.

It took me almost 30 minutes to decide on a book. At first, I had 7 picked out and it took a really long time to narrow it down. When I went outside via the door in his piano room, I sat on one of the two lounge chairs that were out there.

I was just to the part where Louis Zamperini was shaking hands with Hitler in _Unbroken_ when I heard Edward come outside. I looked over my shoulder and was surprised to see him looking relieved. "I've been looking for you for a few minutes. I thought you might have run." He chuckles lightly but I can tell there is genuine relief in his voice.

"I just didn't want to waste such a beautiful day by spending it inside." I looked up to the bright blue sky and took a deep breath of the late spring air.

"What are you reading?" he asks, nodding towards the book in my hand. He moves next to me and sits down in the lounge chair beside me.

I turn the book around to show him. " _Unbroken_. I love it so far."

"Me too." He replies. "They don't make people like Louis Zamperini anymore. That man was made of steel."

"I've only gotten to the point where he meets Hitler at the Olympics."

"It just gets better after that." He says leaning back in the seat and putting his legs out to rest on it like me. "It really is a beautiful day." He closes his eyes and lets the fragmented sunlight that is filtering through the trees hit his face. He looks so beautiful it almost hurts to look at him.

"You seem to be busy today," I remark.

He sighs before turning his head and looking at me. "I'm sorry about that. There was an emergency with a vendor for tonight's ball. I had to make a few phone calls to get it sorted out."

"Vendors?" I ask him. "You're the one throwing the charity ball?"

"Well, Musical Children is my charity." He says. "This ball is where we get most of our money donated."

Wow. I knew he started charities, but I guess I never really thought about it. Like, _really_ thought about it. "What does Musical Children do?"

"Well," he folds his arms across his chest and the motion makes his biceps bulge.

 _Focus, Bella._

"After my parents died and I was put into foster care, all of my belongings and my parent's belongings were put in storage. Including my mother's piano." He sighs as he remembers. "I think if I had that outlet my mother had given me, playing the piano, I wouldn't have been so difficult for the families I stayed with and so angry. I didn't have a way to relieve all those pent-up emotions that were inside me. I didn't realize how cathartic playing the piano was for me until it was taken away, even at such a young age."

He looks over to me then. Hopefully, he doesn't notice the tear glistening in my eye, begging to be released. He just looks so forlorn as he speaks. The pain in his voice is palpable.

"Musical Children was the first charity I started." He says smiling gently. "It gives musical instruments to children in the foster care system. In some instances, if there is a big enough group of them in one area, the charity is able to provide free lessons for them. Unfortunately, in most instances, all we are able to do is provide them with the instruments and books along with web links to help them learn how to play them. Then they can use them in band in whatever school they attend."

There is a fire in his eyes now causing the green in his eyes to smolder. "I just didn't want what happened to me to happen to someone else. When you are put into the foster care system, you lose all of your possessions and are reduced to one, maybe two suitcases of belongings. Most kids are angry about that, and rightfully so. I wanted to give them some way to channel all that negative energy into something positive; into something that could be beautiful like music.

"With music, all you have to do is put a few sounds together in a new order and 'boom!', you have a new song. Giving children a tool where they can be creative like that and teaching them how to use that tool can be powerful for them. It's one aspect of their life that they _do_ have control over and that can make a world of difference when you feel so out of control of everything else."

My heart beats uncomfortably in my chest. The passion that he spoke with was beautiful.

 _This man is so incredible. He just seems so inherently good._

I have to swallow past the boulder-sized lump in my throat before I can speak. "That's incredible, Edward. To turn something so upsetting and negative that happened to you into something so beautiful and positive for so many children is inspiring."

"I don't know about that." He says nervously. "I just wanted to do something for the kids who so often get overlooked. I know how it feels because I was one."

I give him a soft smile and swing my legs over, placing them on the ground as I face him. "Your mother would be so proud of you."

I can tell he's surprised by my words. It takes him a second to regain his composure before his eyes, which are holding mine, turn unbearably soft. "I truly hope so."

We stare at each other for a moment longer before I tear my eyes away from him.

 _You're engaged._

I clear my throat. "Do you know what time it is?"

"It's just before 2. I was originally coming to ask if you wanted to eat lunch with me if you haven't had anything yet.

"I haven't." I say and stand up. "What's on the menu?"

* * *

When I look at the clock again, it's 20 minutes till seven. I've spent the last hour curling my hair and putting on makeup as I get ready for the ball. Checking one more time that my red lips are still perfect, I move from the mirror in the bathroom and go to the closet. I unzip the bag that has my dress in it and I am surprised to see another bag inside with a note attached to it.

I quickly open it up.

 _Miss Swan,_

 _I have included some jewelry that I thought would look beautiful on you and with the dress, completing the look. Don't worry. Mr. Cullen will send them back when you are done considering that they are on loan._

 _All the best,_

 _Siobhan._

I hurriedly unzip the bag to find two jewelry boxes. One large and one small. Opening them, I gasp.

Inside the large box is a beautiful and delicate platinum and diamond necklace. It's not chunky or large but very feminine and subtle, small diamonds adorning the length of the thin chain with a teardrop diamond pendant.

In the smaller box are a pair of teardrop diamond earrings. Thankfully, they aren't large either but seem to be the perfect size to still be delicate.

I giggle giddily and jump up and down for a few seconds, allowing myself to have a 'girl' moment before I regain my composure.

After I put on the beautiful blue dress and stunning jewelry, it's 10 minutes before seven. I step back and look at myself in the mirror once I'm done and almost don't recognize myself. The woman looking back at me is beautiful and looks graceful, even in stillness with the way the dress hugs her body. Her eyes are wide with excitement and her hair is shiny and beautiful as is hangs down her back.

"Wow," I whisper.

I have to take a deep breath before I turn away and walk out of the bathroom. Once my hand touches the doorknob in my bedroom, a wave of nervousness washes over me. It's so strong that I have to close my eyes and count to ten so I don't pass out. Deep breathing and willpower get me to turn the doorknob and step out into the hall.

My heels click on the floor as I tentatively make my way to the living room. When I round the corner, I find Edward waiting for me, his eyes expectant. Another second passes and then his eyes widen fractionally as he gets a good look at me.

They slowly, very slowly, travel down and then back up the length of my body, but not in a completely sexual way. There is reverence in his eyes when they meet mine. "Bella…" he breathes out and then his voice catches. He has to swallow and clear his throat before he can speak again. "There are no words good enough to describe how utterly _beautiful_ you look tonight."

My eyes dart down to the ground as I blush, hard, and smile. The sincerity in his voice and especially in his eyes was too overwhelming for me. I had no choice but to look away.

After some deep breaths, I look back up to him. "I think that's the best compliment anyone's ever given me."

"I'm only just getting started." He says as he walks over. When he does, I get a good look at him. To say that he looks handsome in a tux would be the biggest disservice to him. He looks like Michelangelo's twin brother who happens to be James Bond. He oozes sex appeal and confidence.

I, of course, blush again because of my thoughts.

"Are you ready to go?" he asks.

"Yes," I answer him.

He offers me his arm and I take it as he leads me to his garage.

* * *

When we pull up to the venue, my nerves spike again. There are photographers everywhere along the steps that lead up to the entrance. My hands are wringing nervously in my lap.

"Hey." I hear Edward say softly. I look over to him. "Just ignore them." He nods towards the photographers. "They have to keep their distance by law so they won't be in your face. Just hold onto me and keep walking."

I take a calming breath and give him a smile.

"Stay right there." He says, opening his door and stepping out. I watch as the photographers see him and rush over, keeping a distance of about 10 feet around him thankfully.

He walks around the car and opens my door. When he offers me his hand, I take it and allow him to pull me out of the car. That's when the cameras go nuts.

Lights start flashing and people start yelling things like, "Who's your date, Edward?" "Is she your girlfriend?" "What's your name, miss?"

I grip hard onto his hand and let him lead me up the stairs. Both of us studiously ignore the cameras and the questions and a few seconds later, we are inside the building and I am releasing a hard breath. "That was intense." I murmur to myself.

"I absolutely loathe that part of my life." He says bitterly, looking to the now closed doors. When he looks down to me, his whole face softens. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry about all that."

"I'm fine," I say. "It was just a little overwhelming."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I smile at him. He relaxes after studying me for a few more seconds and then takes my hand.

"Are you ready to go swimming with the sharks?" He asks jokingly, nodding to a set of double doors not too far away. There are people dressed extravagantly milling about the corridor we're in and some are even sneaking glances our way.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

He gives my hand a squeeze and then we're walking through the doors and into a huge ballroom.

The first thing I notice is that there is almost a full orchestra on a raised platform at the front of the room. Beautiful music permeates the air.

The second thing I notice is everyone is looking at us. Applause breaks out around us. I remind myself to smile as Edward laces his fingers even more tightly with mine. I look up at him and see him give a tight smile to everyone before walking further into the room, the applause dying as he weaves through the crowd.

"Do you always get a round of applause when you enter a room?" I ask him. His startled and hearty laughter makes me smile so big my cheeks hurt. "If so, it's a wonder you were able to fit through the doors with such a big head."

"Thankfully, no," he replies.

We make our way through the crowd to the front of the room and to a round table. There are name cards at every seat. I look and see "Edward Cullen, CEO" on one and next to it, a card that just simply says, "Reserved".

"You can set your clutch here." He says. I reach over and place it in the seat of his chair, unsure if the 'reserved' seat is for me. "Do you mind if we mingle a little? I find that people tend to donate more money if they speak with me."

"Not at all," I say. "Lead the way."

He gives me a bright smile and we turn to walk, only to be met by eager faces who have made their way over to speak with Edward.

"Edward Cullen!" a man in his late 30s says with a jovial smile, reaching out and grabbing hold of Edward's hand as he approaches. There are two others with him that are following closely. Another man who looks to be the same age as the first guy and a woman who looks to be my age. She's looking at Aro like he's the best thing in the world. "I was wondering when I'd see you."

"Thank you so much for coming, Aro," Edward replies. "I'm so glad that your partners are here as well supporting the charity."

Aro waves his hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. Everyone needs a good write-off at the end of the year, am I right?" The three of them laugh heartily but Edward's eyes tighten just a tiny fraction.

"Is your beautiful wife here tonight?" Edward asks him. The young woman with him bristles at the question.

"I'm afraid not. She was feeling under the weather." He puts the fakest frown on his face that I've ever seen. "Thankfully, I have my lovely partners to keep me company."

"And how are you Jane, Caius?" Edward nods to the two others.

"Very well." I'm assuming who is Caius says.

The woman, Jane, nods while sending tiny daggers at Edward.

"And who is this lovely lady?" Caius asks, stepping forward and taking my hand. He brings it to his lips and I have to fight the urge to pull it back and wipe it off on my dress. "I don't believe I've seen you before. I definitely would have remembered you."

"Isabella Swan," I say to him, gently pulling my hand back to myself. I feel Edward tense at my side and from the corner of my eye, I see him raise his hand like he's going to place it on the small of my back only to drop it back down to his side.

 _The contract won't allow him to touch me like that._

"You are Edward's date for the evening?" he asks.

"My girlfriend," Edward states tersely, stepping forward and angling his body to where he is slightly in between us.

All three of their brows raise in surprise. "Edward Cullen, have you finally managed to be tamed?" Aro jokes, smiling at me.

"It looks that way," Edward answers, his tone signaling the end of the conversation. "If you'll excuse me, I see Mr. Nichols and I should go and say hello."

"Of course," Aro says with a wave. "It was lovely meeting you, Miss. Swan."

With that, the two of us turn and walk away.

After meeting a very plump Mr. Nichols, I step back and tell Edward that I need to use the restroom. In my haste to get ready on time, I haven't used the bathroom in hours. He points me in the right direction out in the grand foyer we came through and after struggling with my dress for a while in a small stall, I am able to relieve myself. When I step back outside of the bathroom, there are fewer people than there were before. It looks like everyone has gone into the ballroom.

I pick up my pace and hurry into the room, hoping I'm not missing something important. Edward isn't where I left him just inside the door, so I reach up on the tips of my toes and crane my neck to try and see over the crowd and spot him.

"Can I help you with anything?" A cool, deep voice says.

I look down to see a very handsome man smiling and looking at me with curiosity. I smile sheepishly at him. "I was looking for Edward Cullen. I seem to have lost him."

He smiles knowingly at me for some reason before nodding. "I just spoke with him." He says. "I'm Demetri Contos." He holds out his hand and I take it. "Bella Swan," I say back.

"I can take you to him if that's what you'd like?" He gives me a slick smile and arches one brow.

I internally roll my eyes. "Yes, thank you. I'd appreciate that."

He offers his arm and I take it, not wanting to be rude. We turn to my right and he starts to casually weave through the crowd, in no hurry at all. "So, Bella, what do you do for a living?"

"I just graduated law school."

"Congratulations." He says, placing his hand over mine on his arm. I tense at the contact.

"Thank you, Demetri."

"You're very welcome." He coos.

"What about yourself?" I ask him, wanting to direct the conversation away from me.

"Oh, I'm a senior executive with Cullen Enterprises. I work directly with Mr. Cullen." He seems smug about this, holding his head high and looking at me to see if I'm impressed.

I'm not.

"That's great."

"Have you met Mr. Cullen?" he asks me.

"I have."

"Are you one of the new interns in the office?" he asks.

"No." I shake my head.

"I could get you an internship with our legal department if you'd like. It's hard to even get your resume read but I can pull a few strings and get you a position." When he's done speaking, he winks at me.

 _Eww._

"That's very kind of you, Demetri, but no thanks." Looking around us, I can see Edward speaking with a very beautiful older woman and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure?" he asks again, disbelief marring his handsome face. He looks astonished that I turned down his offer.

"Positive."

"There is Mr. Cullen." He says, nodding over to him.

"I see."

"He's speaking with his family right now, so we should probably wait a moment to go over there." He says, looking at the older woman.

 _His family._

I look closer at her and she smiles beautifully at him, reaching up and touching his cheek, bringing him down so she can kiss it. Edward's cheeks brighten with redness as he looks slightly embarrassed.

I giggle at the sight. "That's his mother, correct?"

"Yes, it is." He answers.

I pull my hand from Demetri's arm and step away. "Thank you so much for helping me find him, Demetri."

"If you're insistent upon interrupting him with his family, please, let me make the introduction. He might be more welcoming if I'm with you; a more familiar face."

I grin at him. He has no clue who I am to Edward and I am loving it. "If you insist."

When he offers his arm this time, I don't take it and fold my hands together in front of me. He places his hand gently on my lower back and I take a few quick steps to try and escape his touch. Unfortunately, it doesn't work.

As we get closer, I see Edward look over the heads of everyone and look back to the doors to the corridor. He looks like he's looking for me. There is a worried pinch of his brows when he doesn't see me.

"Edward. Are you listening to me?" his mother asks.

We're close now, only about five feet away.

His tone is slightly exasperated when he answers. "Yes, mom."

"Good. I'm sure Tanya will be thrilled to hear that."

This manages to gain his full attention. "What?"

"I knew you weren't listening to me." She says, narrowing her eyes lightly at him. She then spots someone over Edward's shoulder and his mother's whole face brightens. "Tanya! There you are."

I look to my right and see Tanya Denali approaching them and she looks _stunning_. My steps falter for a moment as she smiles up at Edward, reaching up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek, lingering a tad too long.

"Doesn't she look absolutely beautiful, Edward?" his mother prods.

His lips pull into a tight smile as he says, "You look lovely, Tanya."

"I thought you'd like this dress." She replies with a coy smile.

It's then that I clear my throat and take the last step forward. When Edward sees me, he actually looks relieved.

"Mr. Cullen," Demetri says, his hand still on my back. I try to sidestep his hand but fail as I have nowhere to go standing in between him and Edward. "This is Bella Swan. She wanted to speak with you." He looks very proud of himself and he may even be trying to show me off as if he were my date.

Edward's eyes turn into slits. "I believe I know who my own girlfriend is, Demetri." He says lowly to him. Demetri immediately takes his hand back as his face pales.

"Girlfriend?" I hear a woman exclaim. Looking to where the voice came from, I see Tanya is the one who said it. She's clearly shocked and staring at me with a look that turns from questioning to incredulous.

When I see Edward's hand twitch like he wants to place it on my back, I grab it and do it for him. It would be weird if he didn't touch me there, somewhere so innocuous to introduce me and walk with me places. I can't exactly shake someone's hand if he is holding it.

He relaxes quite a bit when he rests his hand just above my backside. "Yes." He says, looking at Tanya. "Mother, Tanya, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Isabella Swan."

I smile brightly and hold out my hand to his mother. "It's so nice to meet you," I tell her.

It takes her a second to recover from the shock of his news before she gives me a polite smile back. "This is quite a surprise, Edward." She says as she shakes my hand. "I wasn't even aware you had started dating someone."

"You know how much I protect my private life, mother." He says as I look to Tanya and offer her my hand. She looks at it for a moment before shaking it and giving me a fake smile.

"Yes. I do." She says, looking back to me. "It's nice to meet you, Isabell."

"Isabella." Edward corrects her. "But she prefers to be called Bella."

"I'm so sorry, sweetie." His mother says to me. "Please, call me Esme."

I smile and nod at her as Demetri shifts his weight and catches Edward's eye. "Is there something I can do for you, Demetri?" When I look up to Edward, the look on his face is acidic. His eyes are glistening with thinly concealed anger.

"No, Mr. Cullen." He then looks to me. "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't know you were with Mr. Cullen."

"Is that why you made her uncomfortable by touching her when she clearly didn't want you to? It did not go unnoticed by me. Nothing does."

"Edward, it's fine," I tell him lowly. Looking back to Demetri, I smile. "It was nice to meet you, Demetri. Thank you for helping me find Edward."

"You're very welcome." He says. With a tip of his head towards the small group, he turns and practically runs off with his tail tucked between his legs.

There is a slightly awkward silence that lasts for a few seconds before I try to ease it. "It's so nice to finally put a face with all the stories I've heard," I say to Esme.

Her face lights up and she blushes slightly. "All good stories, I hope."

"Of course," I say. "He's told me about what a good cook you are. Maybe you could give me a few of his favorite recipes so I can make them for him?"

Her face lights up. "You cook?"

"I love to cook."

"Edward always loved when I made him brownies," Tanya says, inserting herself into our conversation. She even steps forward a little and touches Edward's forearm with the tips of her fingers. "He would eat them for days. Right, Edward?"

Instead of answering her, he looks down at me. "Would you like to take our seats? It looks like dinner is ready to be served." He nods towards a door at the back of the ballroom where a bunch of waiters are coming out of with trays of food.

"That'd be great," I answer him.

"Tanya." He says as a way of saying goodbye and then leads us back to our table, his mother on his other side.

The gentleman he is, he pulls out both of our chairs for us. "What is it that you do, Bella?" she asks me as we settle into our seats.

"I actually just graduated from law school."

"She was third in her class," Edward says proudly, his eyes shining when he looks back to me for a moment.

"That's fantastic. Beautiful and smart, Edward. Where did you find her?" Esme questions him.

"We met at Basic (the restaurant where it all started) a little over a month ago. When I saw Bella, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She's had me under her spell ever since."

I can't help but blush. Even though the fact that we're together is a lie, what he said about how we met is completely true. He barely took his eyes off me that first night.

I pull myself together and look to Esme. "It was impossible to resist him once we met. He can be incredibly charming. Especially when he unleashes his smile on me; I turn to putty when he does."

"I've always thought he has the best smile." She agrees and looks at her son. "I just wish you had told me about Bella sooner."

"As I said, you know how hard I try to keep my private life private."

"Even from your own mother?"

"Even from my own mother. Especially when she can barely keep a secret from her best friend who happens to be one of the biggest gossips in town."

Esme waves her hand dismissively. "That was only that one time."

"I'm sorry I'm late." A gorgeous older man says, appearing behind Esme. He leans down and gives her a peck on her cheek. "The surgery I had scheduled took longer than expected." He sits down next to Esme and then looks at me curiously across the table.

"Dad," Edward says, gaining his attention. "This is Bella Swan. My girlfriend."

Just like his wife's did, his brows raise high with surprise. "Girlfriend?" he questions.

"Yes."

"Well then," he stands up and walks around the table, coming to stop beside me. "It's a great pleasure to meet you, Bella." He takes my hands and pulls me up before leaning forward and placing a light kiss on my cheek. He still holds my hands between us as he gives me a once over. "I can't say that I've heard him speak about you."

Edward opens his mouth to say something, but his father continues. "But that doesn't surprise me. He rarely tells us anything personal because of his mother's best friend."

"I'm never living that down, am I?" his mother mumbles and takes a swig of the wine in front of her. I giggle at her.

"You can call me Carlisle." He says, pulling me in and kissing my other cheek gently too.

There is something so inherently friendly and good about him that I smile at him. It must be where Edward gets it from. "It's nice to meet you, Carlisle."

Dinner is served and it's absolutely delicious. I have Chilean sea bass with a lemon butter sauce that melts in my mouth and two and a half of glasses of white wine to wash it down. Edward is fairly preoccupied with the man next to him for most of dinner. He seems to be very wealthy and Edward works him over expertly until he agrees to donate $100,000 in addition to the trip to Fiji he bid on in the silent auction.

By the time the music and dancing part of the evening starts, the alcohol has taken its effect on me and my muscles are nice and relaxed. I also happen to find things funnier than usual which Carlisle takes advantage of, sharing some incredibly weird and sometimes cringe-worthy stories from the ER.

When the band begins to play a song that I don't know, Carlisle's eyes light up and then he is pulling Esme out of her chair. The two of them look into each other's eyes and you can see so much love pulsing between them. When they start to spin gracefully on the floor, I look to see Edward watching me. "Your parents are great," I tell him with a huge smile. "Your dad is something else, though. I see where you get all your charm and smooth moves from."

"Dance with me." He asks suddenly, his eyes intent on mine.

I freeze for a second with surprise.

"Dance with me, Bella. Please."

Suddenly, nothing is funny anymore. All my giddiness from the wine is gone and I'm stone cold sober. My heart rate picks up and the way he's looking at me...

"Okay," I say so low it's almost inaudible.

He wastes no time in grabbing my hand and helping me out of my chair. Another few seconds and then he has one hand on my lower back, pulling me close to him on the dance floor, the other one holding my hand up and out to the side of us. It takes me a moment to remember to bring my other hand up and place it on his shoulder, but when I do, we start to glide across the floor and I can't look away from his eyes.

I start to notice that the tingling sensation when we touch is starting to magnify as we dance, radiating from where our hands are joined. When an errant thought runs through my mind, my other hand is then sliding up his shoulder and coming to rest on the skin of his neck, trying to find out if the current that flows between our hands will be on that part of his skin too.

It is.

His lips part and his breathing starts to come in short waves, just like mine. His arm flexes, pulling me even closer into his chest as we spin. The music is unbearably sweet and persuasive that it feels like everything his falling away. The crowd, the ballroom; everything.

This time it's me who pushes us closer.

"You are so _beautiful_." He whispers quietly on a shaky exhale of breath.

My heart jumps into my throat and then I'm saying, "Edward.". My voice is just as shaky as his. I feel a warm flush spread over my skin and I just know my blush has spread to my chest, turning my skin into cream and roses.

"Bella, I need…"

"May I have the next dance, Edward?"

Coming out of my Edward induced trance, I realize the music has stopped and I had no idea. Apparently, neither did Edward because we were still swaying gently when he tore his eyes from mine, looking over to see Tanya smiling up at him from next to us.

 _Oh god, what do you need, Edward?!,_ my mind screams inside my head. _Tell me what you need. What were you about to say?_

Seeing her standing there and then looking back up to Edward who still looks a little dazed reminds me of where I am and why I'm here.

 _You're engaged._

"Sure, Tanya," I say, letting go of Edward. It almost causes me physical pain to pull my hands away from his skin. "I was just about to get myself a glass of water, so you go ahead, keep him busy while I'm gone."

Edward looks back at me with a heartbreakingly regretful look before I turn and almost run away from him in my haste. I've got to sober up a little. This alcohol in my system needs to be flushed out before I do something impulsive.

I reach our table and pick up a glass of water, almost draining it in one swig. Setting the glass back down on the table, I make a new rule for myself. No more than one small glass of wine from now on when I'm with Edward. I need to be in full control of myself when I'm around him and he's acting so... _perfect_.

I refuse to look over at him dancing with Tanya, preferring to try and drink all the glasses of water on the table. The last thing I need is to see him looking at me, which I know he is. I can feel his eyes on me like always. I fear that if I meet his eyes, I'll...I don't know what would happen, but I know that I'd probably regret it.

* * *

 _Well, damn. I didn't win the billion dollars. :'( lol_

 _Holy cow. Things were getting real before Tanya walked up. Do ya'll think that she will be able to keep resisting him for the whole month? If so, what do you think she will have to do to be able to do it? I'm not even sure and I'm the one writing it. Lol!_

 _Anyway, thanks a trillion for reading and don't forget to **follow** and **review** to tell me what you think of this chapter!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Big shout out to **SunflowerFran**! She's my new beta and her work was superb and insightful! Thanks so much! You're simply the best! (sung in Tina Turner's voice)_

* * *

Chapter Nine

* * *

"I'm sorry about Tanya," Edward says. "It was rude of her to cut in like that when we were dancing."

I look over to him, the dim cabin of his car slightly illuminating his face in the dark. "It's fine," I say to him. "She's your ex-girlfriend, right?"

He purses his lips. "Yes."

"She's very beautiful." I look back out of my window and watch the city dissolve away.

"Most people think that." He replies.

"It seemed like she was still interested in you."

"She's a great girl, but we just aren't meant to be together. Our families have been friends for over thirty years and my mother had been pressuring me for a very long time to date her when I asked her out. She's always wanted us to be together, and I tried, but it didn't work. At least not for me it didn't."

"Your mom still wants you to be with her," I say.

"That was before she met you." He says, and I look back to him. "She likes you a lot. If she didn't, she wouldn't have asked to come over tomorrow."

I give him a smile before I turn and look back out of the window.

In all honesty, I'm glad she interrupted when she did. I was on a dangerous slope that would have led me to do something I would regret.

 _I mean, I haven't even been gone for more than **one day,** and I'm already struggling not to kiss him._

I really need to lay down some boundaries for myself and do it quickly.

* * *

The next day arrives after a night of hardly any sleep. I have to be showered and dressed by 11:00 because that is when his mother and father will be here. Esme was insistent last night about coming over and showing me how to make Edward's favorite meal.

I studiously avoid leaving my room until I'm dressed and ready. When I leave my self-imposed confines, I find Edward lounging on the couch with a book in his hands. When he hears me, his head turns and his face lights up. "Good morning, Bella."

"Morning," I say back, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a fruit bar to hold me over until Esme's meal is ready to be eaten. I hear Edward approach behind me. When I turn, he's leaning over the island, resting on his elbows as he watches me. "You must have been tired. You slept late."

"Your dad wouldn't take no for an answer and kept me dancing all night," I say to him, not wanting to admit I was awake and just hiding from him.

"I know. He hogged you for himself. I was quite jealous."

I roll my eyes playfully and shake my head.

 _Yes. That's a good, almost neutral response._

I clear my throat after drinking from a bottle of water I took from the fridge and pull out my professional side. "Before your parents get here, I think we should revise some terms in the contract, mainly pertaining to physical contact."

He stands up straight, his face turning professional as well. "Alright. Let me go grab the contract." He walks swiftly to his office and is back before a minute has passed. He sets it down in front of me and flips to the last page. "My lawyer had an amendment page drawn up just in case."

I smile down at it. "He's a good lawyer. Very prepared."

"He'd better be. He costs me a fortune." His eyes widen with mock horror, and now I'm laughing. This makes him happy. He smiles beautifully at me.

"Okay," I say, clearing my throat, trying to maintain my professional demeanor. "I think we can add on here that you can place your hand on my lower back. It's only natural to want to guide me places by putting your hand there or while in conversation in a crowd, introductions, dancing…especially since I see on the schedule that there are two other balls to attend."

He nods, his face serious as he writes out the amendment. While he does that, I'm having an internal war with myself, trying to argue the pros and cons of…. "And I think we can put cheek kissing on there as well." I spit out without thinking.

 _Oh god. I said it. I can't believe I said it. Why did I say it? I wasn't even sure if it was a good idea or not._

His head snaps up to me, pure surprise on his face.

"Well, if we are going to be spending time with your family here at your house, it would be weird if there were absolutely no kissing of any kind since we're supposed to be together. I figured it was a good enough compromise that held just enough intimacy to maybe ward off them noticing we weren't kissing."

"Sounds reasonable." He says as he starts to write. "Would this include a kiss on your head as well?"

"Yes," I reply. _Why not? I'll just douse myself in gasoline as well while I play with fire._

He writes quickly while I bite my lip nervously, trying very hard not to overthink this.

When he's done writing that amendment, he looks at me, uncertainty coloring his face. "There is another thing I thought about last night." He says nervously. "Are you okay with pet names?" When I furrow my brows, uncertain of his meaning, he continues. "Like 'love' or 'honey'...things like that?"

Trying not to overthink it, I just nod. "That's okay."

His huge grin is contained by pursing his lips, and I think biting the inside of his cheek.

Once he's done writing, he slides it over to me and I read over it. Checking to make sure everything is correct and specific, I grab the pen and sign my name on each amendment. Edward does the same.

"I'll just go put this back, and then I wanted to take you to the end of the driveway so I can add your thumbprint to the gate. I don't know if I'll always be here to let you in."

"Okay."

When he comes back, we walk out to the back of the garage and he opens up a storage space on the far side of the outside wall. When I look inside, I laugh. "You have a golf cart?"

He looks back at me and grins as he goes to sit in the driver's seat. "Of course. I have a really long driveway. It's either this or walk for almost fifteen minutes. Getting in a car just to go to the end of the driveway seems ridiculous."

I giggle again at the sight of him in the cart. "It's just that I didn't picture you having a golf cart. I mean, from million dollar cars to this?"

"Cars are my one weakness." He says defensively, yet I know he's playing. "That's the only thing I drop serious money on." I laugh lightly as he drives the cart out of the small area it was in. He stops in front of me and waves his hand dramatically. "Your chariot awaits." I roll my eyes at him as I get in.

* * *

I notice Edward and I are both barefoot as he opens the door for his parents. Looking up at what we're wearing, we totally look as if we are just lounging the day away at home. We're both wearing jeans, and while I am in a slightly nicer shirt, it's still reasonable for staying at home. Edward is in an old, Weezer band t-shirt, one of my favorite bands.

After Esme steps through the door, grabbing Edward and hugging him with free hands, and I get a sight of Carlisle and have to cover my mouth to stifle my laughter. He's completely loaded down with grocery bags and is still somehow managing to carry one of those heavy, stand mixers and what looks like a couple of books.

"Dad." Edward chastises. "I could have come and helped if you'd just waited." He grabs the stand mixer and one handful of the groceries.

"I'd rather lose an arm than make two trips." He says, and I giggle. Esme spots me then and hurries over, smiling and pulling me in for a hug.

"Still just as beautiful as last night." She coos when she stands back, holding me at arm's length.

"Thank you, Esme."

She waves her hand at me dismissively as she starts to move around me and head for the kitchen. "Don't mention it." I follow and watch as she sets down her purse on the island and opens the fridge. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited Emmett and Rosalie." She calls over her shoulder.

"Mom!" Edward says, almost sounding like a petulant child, setting the groceries on the counter a little harder than necessary. "Why would you do that?"

"Because he's your brother." She spins around and levels him with one of those looks that moms give when they don't want to be argued with. "And since you don't tell us anything, I took the liberty of telling your brother about Bella. He was insistent upon meeting her and coming here after I told him we were coming for lunch."

"Of course, he was," Edward mutters under his breath.

"I'm excited to meet him," I say with a mischievous grin. "After all the stories I've heard, I'm dying to put a face with the name. I think he'll be a great addition to our little get together."

Esme beams at me. "He'll love to hear that."

"Traitor." Edward murmurs to me as passes me and walks out of the kitchen. He grabs the books Carlisle set down on the counter and turns to go to his library. Carlisle follows behind, asking about borrowing some more books.

"So, what are we making?" I ask, looking around in the bags, pulling out items of food, trying to figure out what she is going to teach me.

"Creamy Tuscan Style Chicken. It's a recipe that I inherited from my grandmother. She was from a small town north of Milan."

"That's incredible. A real authentic Italian recipe."

"Not only is it Edward's favorite, but it's also both Carlisle and Emmett's favorite as well. I only make it on special occasions."

"Special occasions?" I ask. "Why is that?"

"Because if I didn't say that, they'd nag me to make it almost every day and I'm not having that." She says with a chuckle. "It takes a lot of time to make the sauce that goes on it, and I don't have that much time to devote to cooking. That's why I enlisted Carlisle to cook dinner three times a week so I can have a break."

"I understand." I tell her and think about how much Jake eats and how the first thing he asks me when we get home from work is 'what's for dinner?' I've always thought it was endearing just how much he loves to eat, but as I think about it now, he's never made any effort to learn how to cook. Instead, he's just always waited for me to come home and do it.

Hmmm. That's something I will want to talk with Jake about once this month is over.

Esme is wonderful as she directs me, telling me a 'pinch of this here' and a 'gob of that there,' saying that her grandmother never measured anything. After almost half an hour, Edward and his father come back to the kitchen, Carlisle holding a new stack of books.

"I borrowed enough to hold us over for a while," Carlisle says to Esme and holding up the books for her to see. She smiles warmly at him.

"Everything smells great so far," Edward says, moving into the kitchen, coming to stand next to me and placing his hand on my back as I whisk together the sauce ingredients. When his other hand comes forward, his finger extended, and moves to swipe some of the sauce from the bowl, I swat at his hand.

I look at him, and he scowls playfully at me. "It's not done yet. It won't taste good. We still have to add another four ingredients."

He gets this determined look on his face, and I know what he's about to do, but I'm not quick enough to stop him. His hand moves lightning fast and he swipes a big finger full of the sauce and shoves it in his mouth. I watch and wait for the reaction I know is going to come.

It only takes a few seconds for his cheeks to pucker and his eyes to squint as the bitter taste registers on his tongue.

I bite back my own giggle and say, "I told you so." In a superior tone.

He narrows his eyes at me and tries to look annoyed. He fails miserably because of the slight upturn of his lips letting me know he's trying not to smile.

"What's the matter?" I ask innocently. "Was it the sauce or the 'I told you so' that left the bitter taste in your mouth?" That's when he reaches my side and squeezes, making me jump and giggle.

Esme laughs behind us. "Oh, I think you've met your match, Edward." She says with a dubious tone.

"I know," he says and then turns to grab something to drink out of the fridge.

That's when I think about what he just did and realize that that kind of touch wasn't laid out in the contract. Before I start to overthink it, I shrug to myself.

 _Oh well. It was harmless. I'm not going to make a big deal out of it._

"Honey! I'm home!"

There is a deep booming voice that comes from the front of the house.

"For what is about to happen, I'm sorry," Edward says lowly to me. I turn and see his eyes widen with warning and a bit of humor.

I set down the whisk and wipe my hands on a towel before turning around. Walking into the kitchen is one of the biggest guys I've ever seen. A contrast to his hulking size, his face is warm and friendly with a huge smile that reminds me of a giant teddy bear.

"As I live and breathe!" He exclaims with shock, looking right at me. "It is true!"

"You must be Emmett," I say. I hold out my hand for him to shake and he shoves it away, scooping me up into his arms and lifting me off my feet.

When he sets me down, he holds me at arm's length. "When Mom told me you showed up to your fancy shin-dig last night with a girlfriend, I thought she was pulling my leg."

"Are you done accosting my girlfriend so I can introduce you to her?" Edward asks.

"For now," Emmett says, looking at me and then winking.

"Bella, this is my brother Emmett."

"It's nice to meet you, Emmett," I say as Edward steps closer to me, placing his hand on my back.

When we hear high heels clicking on the floor by the front door, Emmett's smile fades, and he looks at Edward. "I'm sorry about Rose. She insisted she bring her."

"Who?" Edward asks just as an incredibly beautiful blonde walks around the corner with Tanya Denali.

"You've got to be kidding me," Edward mutters.

Tanya's eyes land on me. "Oh. I thought this was just going to be a family get together." She says with a fake smile.

"I thought so too," I say, wanting to smack her over the head with the frying pan that is on the stove not too far away.

I turn back to the bowl of sauce and pick up the whisk. Edward leans down and says to me, "She and my sister-in-law are best friends."

I just nod and start stirring. When I feel a hand on my shoulder, I turn to see Emmett looking apologetic at me. "I'd like to introduce you to my wife."

I set the whisk down again and turn to see the stunningly beautiful blonde. Even with the fake smile she is giving me, she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. "Bella, this is my wife, Rosalie."

"It's nice to meet you," I say, shaking her hand.

Thankfully, Edward is still beside me. "Why would you bring her?" he says lowly, glancing at Tanya who is engaged in a very animated conversation with his mother, laughing and flipping her hair.

"Oh, come on, Edward." She says, rolling her eyes. "She's my best friend, and she was saying how she didn't get to see much of you last night."

"That's because I was avoiding her." He says.

"Why?" Rosalie feigns innocence. "She's one of your best friends."

"Used to be." He says bitterly. "Now she's just an unwelcome ex." She opens her mouth to say something, but Edward isn't done with her. "You knew you were coming here and meeting my girlfriend and you still brought her. That was incredibly disrespectful to Bella, and you know it."

"Take it easy, Ed," Emmett says softly.

"No.," he says back. "I've had enough of Rose trying to force us together for her own purposes."

Edward's harsh tone catches the attention of Esme and Tanya and they both turn to look at us. Over in the corner of the kitchen, Carlisle is sneaking small, sun-dried tomatoes from the frying pan, oblivious to what is going on.

"Edward, it's okay," I say lowly to him.

"No, it's not." He says back.

"For the sake of keeping the peace for today, it is," I tell him, reaching out and touching his forearm gently. He looks over to me, and after searching my eyes for a moment, his soften as defeat sets in. He gives me a tight nod and then wraps his hand around to the back of my head. He then leans down and places a kiss on my forehead before turning and walking out of the kitchen, presumably to cool down.

I'm momentarily surprised before I smile to myself.

 _His lips felt so soft on my forehead. Not to mention, the tingling sensation left by his touch is electric._

I blush and turn back to the sauce. Only a second goes by before I see Emmett's big bear paw he calls a hand reaches around me and swipes some of the sauce.

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you," I warn him with a little smirk, not bothering to turn and watch his reaction. From what I've seen of Emmett so far, I'll hear his reaction more than anything.

"Ewww!" His loud voice calls out. "What's wrong with it?"

I chuckle. "It's not done yet. It still needs three more ingredients."

"That's for damn sure," Emmett says seriously, and I laugh some more.

Esme comes over and stands next to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. "It's looking good, Bella." She says. "I think we can go ahead and add the rest."

"What can I do, Esme?" Tanya asks. I spare her a glance before paying studious attention to stirring the sauce and pouring in the rest of the ingredients.

"I didn't know you developed an interest in cooking, Tanya," Esme says, walking over to her.

"Well, if I want to be a good wife and mom someday, I need to learn how to cook and pass on family recipes."

While I know Edward is not really my boyfriend, the nerve of this woman is seriously testing my patience. She said it like _she_ was the one that was going to marry Edward and pass on this recipe to _their_ children.

 _Fucking bitch._

"I think we have everything covered, for now, Tanya," Esme says sweetly. "We're almost done."

"Oh, okay." She says, trying to sound sad. "I guess I'll just go find everyone."

I turn to see that everyone has left the kitchen. I can hear conversation coming from the living room, but when Tanya leaves, she turns right and heads to the back of the house in the direction Edward went. I can't help my reaction and narrow my eyes at her.

"She's really a sweet girl once you get to know her," Esme says with a smile.

"I'm sure she is." My voice is dead and unbelieving.

After another few minutes of cooking, my curiosity and worry get the best of me. I set down the spatula I'm using to cook the chicken with and turn to Esme. "Can you take over for a little bit? I'm afraid I need to use the bathroom."

"Of course. You go ahead."

After wiping my hands on a towel, I pad down the hallway with my bare feet, and just as I'm about to get to his piano room, I hear Tanya. I press myself up against the wall and double check that no one is watching me eavesdrop. It's not exactly the best quality to have but I have to know what they are saying and doing.

"You've only been together a month?" she asks softly.

"Yes." He replies.

"That's nothing compared to us. We've known each other for twenty years, and we were together for six months, and you're saying you don't want to give us another shot for something that's only been going on for a month?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Tanya. I tried, we tried the relationship thing and it just didn't work."

"It worked great." She says in a whisper-yell.

"Not for me it didn't," he whisper-yells back. "My feelings never developed past friendship for you. I tried to get them to, but it just didn't happen."

"But you know how I feel, Edward. I love you." She says. There is a catch in her voice. My heart starts to pound in my ears as I wait for someone to say something. "I know if you really gave us another shot, a real shot, not just one where our families push us together, you'd feel the same way."

It's quiet for a long moment, and it takes everything I have not to die of anticipation, waiting for his response.

"Tanya, we've been over this. I don't like hurting you, you know this. But I just don't feel the same way, and it's not going to change. Now or in the future."

"Is it because of your girlfriend?" she asks, venom in her tone.

"Yes and no," he answers. "No, because even if I weren't with Bella, my feelings would still be the same towards you. And yes, because I'm serious about Bella. I have been from the first moment I saw her."

I know it's not real because we're not a couple, but when he says that, my heart jumps in my throat and my body hums with a sensation that I can't describe.

I push myself off the wall and walk a few steps back down the hall before calling out, "Edward?"

I pretend like I wasn't just listening and that my heart isn't in my throat as I walk down the hall and appear at the entrance of the room. "There you are," I say with a smile, sending Tanya a small glare before looking back to Edward. "I was just coming to find you and tell you that the food is almost ready."

He takes a deep breath and releases the tension that was holding his body rigid, giving me a warm smile. "It smells fantastic, baby." He says as he walks over to me, grabbing my hand and placing a kiss on it. "Come on. I'm starving."

Edward pulls me back towards the kitchen by our joined hands, leaving Tanya alone as she gives me a death glare behind his back.

* * *

Sitting down to a late lunch with Edward's family is nice. I love his brother Emmett who has told me quite a few embarrassing stories about Edward as a child and as a teenager. My favorite so far is when Edward was a senior in high school and he was feeling up his date in his truck. Just when he was about to get some under-the-shirt action, Emmett, who had seen him parked down the street from her house, came up outside the truck and banged on the window pretending to be a cop, scaring them both half to death.

The way Emmett described how Edward, in his haste to get off the girl who he had laid down on his truck bench, accidentally elbowed her in the face, giving her a black eye. It was hysterical! What was even funnier was the look of pure hatred Edward was sending Emmett's way and how unaffected Emmett was by it.

Emmett is a really easy guy to like.

"Everything was so good, Mom, Bella." Edward rubs his stomach. "I definitely ate too much."

Tanya, who had been quietly sulking the whole time next to Rosalie, not joining in with the conversation, cleared her throat causing everyone to turn and look. "Edward's right. The meal was incredible, Esme. You've always been such an amazing cook."

"Actually," Esme says, looking to me. "It was mainly all Bella. I was just there to show her the recipe."

"It was really good, Bella." She reluctantly says, looking down at her plate.

"Thank you."

Carlisle, the wonderful man he is, changes the subject, ending any continuation of the conversation between Tanya and me. "So, now that you've graduated law school, Bella, what are your plans?"

From the corner of my eye, Edward stiffens a bit. His father has brought up my plans and Jake without knowing. "As of right now, I'm taking the Bar exam on Tuesday. I'm going to be neck deep in law books tonight, studying right up until I take it."

"Oh my goodness. Why didn't you tell us you had to study?" Esme asks. She stands and starts clearing the table. "We should get out of your hair so you can go home and study."

"Actually, Bella is practically moved in here, Mom," Edward says.

The brows of everyone in the room with surprise. Tanya's the most.

"Really?" she asks, looking to me for confirmation.

"It's true," I say. "I spend most nights here instead of my place."

"Way to go, big bro," Emmett says with a waggle of his brows.

Edward rolls his eyes. "But I do agree with you, Mom. I know she's been wanting to study all day, even though I'm confident she'll ace it without studying." He gives me a wink and a smile. "But she's thorough and wants to be fully prepared and study till her eyes close from near exhaustion."

Seeing Esme pile the dishes up in her arms, I quickly stand and help her. "Let me help."

"Not at all," Edward says as he takes what's in my hands. "The both of you cooked, so that means that we clean."

 _Jake never offers to clean._

I look over to see Carlisle slap Emmett on the back of his head and watch as he grumbles and grabs his plate, following Carlisle to the kitchen. He drags his feet the whole way, looking every bit like a child being forced to do chores.

Rosalie, who has barely said two words to me or even acknowledged my existence, stands and clears her throat. "So, Bella. Where _do_ you live?" Her tone is verging on incredulous as her eyes bore into me.

"Well, now that I'm done with school, I'm in the process of moving here to Seattle to find a job," I tell her, going with mine and Edward's story full of half-truths. "I've lived in a small town about three hours from here in the peninsula since I was sixteen. I went to school online, but it took me a while to get my degree because I was paying for school as I went along."

"How so?" she asks, walking over to the living room and sitting on the couch. Esme, Tanya, and I follow. "Your parents didn't pay for your school?"

I shake my head and give one mirthless laugh. "No. My dad is the police chief of the town where I'm from, and my mom is a pre-school teacher. They couldn't afford to pay for my college so I worked two jobs, one full-time and one part-time, for seven years now because I didn't want to have to get school loans that would take thirty years to pay back."

"Wow," Esme says. "And yet you finished 3rd in your law school?"

"Yes, ma'am," I tell her proudly.

"That's truly something to be proud of." She says seriously. "You're beautiful, smart, hardworking, a great cook, and it seems you've managed to get my boy, the eternal lonely bachelor, to settle down." She shakes her head as she studies me. "Is there anything you can't do?"

I blush profusely and look down at my hands in my lap.

"Excuse me," Tanya says. She stands and is gone before any of us look up at her. From the small glimpse of her face that I got, she's about ready to either cry or scream in anger.

"Her feelings are hurt, Esme." Rosalie chides her. The tone she took with Esme irritates me to no end. "Just yesterday you were helping her get ready for the ball, determined to get her and Edward back together. Telling her how perfect they were together."

"That's because I didn't know about Bella," Esme says defensively. "I just want him to be happy, and it is obvious that Bella is doing that."

Rosalie, queen of the icy stare as I've nicknamed her, stands in a huff and then goes after Tanya who has disappeared out the front door.

Esme blows out a breath and falls back into the couch, kicking up her legs beside her. "I think I'm going to need a drink." She says, and I chuckle. "I've got months now of Rosalie sending me daggers. She can hold a grudge like no one I've seen before. She's very protective of those she loves. It can be a pain in the neck sometimes, but it's a good quality to have for my Emmett. He needs protecting because he's so trusting."

"I just wish we didn't meet like this," I admit. "I hate getting off on the wrong foot."

"Don't worry about it too much," Esme says. "She wants her friend to be happy and having Edward would make her happy. Soon she'll realize that that's not going to happen because he has you now and she'll eventually come around."

 _Too bad I won't be around long enough for that._

"Alright my fair ladies," Edward says. "I have the leftovers boxed up for dinner." He's standing behind the couch with a dish towel slung over his shoulder.

 _Damn, he looks_ _ **so**_ _good looking all domesticated and shit. I never knew a dishtowel could get my motor running._

"I do believe, Bella, you have some studying to do." He turns to his mom. "And you and Dad have to drive back to the suburbs."

"True." She says. She struggles to stand up for a moment before Edward gives her a small shove from behind. "I swear, I'm going to disappear inside your sofa one day, son."

I kick my legs and am able to get up without too much of a struggle. Emmett comes from the kitchen with a thoroughly, soaking wet shirt and a bag of chips from the pantry. "Where are Rose and Tanya?" he asks.

"Outside," Esme says knowingly. "I think Tanya is ready to go."

A look of dread passes over his features. "So, it's going to be one of those kinds of nights..." He says mournfully.

After a few rounds of hugs and promises to have dinner with his parents, they are out the door, and Edward is crashing on the couch while I stand behind it on the opposite side. "Well, that was eventful."

"Rosalie hates me," I say.

Edward's eyes snap to me. "No, she doesn't. She's mad at _me_. She hates me for not wanting to be with her best friend. She's had this dumb idea for years that she and Tanya would marry Emmett and me and they would become sisters. We'd all then ride off into the sunset, all holding hands with one another." He rolls his eyes before dragging a hand down his face. "I tried, but I never came close to loving her. I knew even after a month together with Tanya that it would never work, but I stayed with her, thinking that maybe it would change. All it did was make things messy and awkward."

I'm not really sure what to say so I just nod. I don't really have any insight or background of the situation or relationship between them to give the right advice.

So, I divert the conversation.

"Was the girl with the black eye your first girlfriend?" I ask.

His face morphs from downtrodden to fake annoyed in .2 seconds. "I can't believe you just brought that up."

"Why?" I ask. I'm trying to hold in my giggle. "If she was your girlfriend, I'll bet she wasn't after seeing what a scaredy-cat you were and how dangerous you were when you were flailing with around with fear."

This time, I can't hold back my smile.

"You, Bella Swan," he says slowly, leaning up on the couch, "are skating on thin ice. There will be consequences if you continue to make fun of my stumbling blocks on my way to get to _this_." He motions to himself.

I laugh. "What consequences?" I challenge him, putting my hands on my hips.

"Did you see Emmett's shirt?" He asks, and I nod. "That was payback for him telling you that story."

"So…what? You're going to spray me with water?"

"No. I'm going to eat all the leftovers before you get a chance."

My eyes widen in horror. "You wouldn't," I say seriously.

"I would." He says, rising from the couch. "There are three pieces of chicken left, but I'll eat them all."

"Not if I get there first," I say. We stare at each other for a moment and then we are both running. Since I was already standing behind the couch while he was on the other side of it in the living room, I reach the kitchen first. I grab the Tupperware container with the leftovers from the counter and run to the far end of the island just as he barrels around the corner.

I crack open the top and take a long sniff of his favorite home-cooked meal. "Mmmmm. Smells like dinner for me. What are you going to have, Edward?"

There is mischief in his eyes and an easy grin on his lips. "I'm going to eat that chicken." He says, nodding to what's in my hands. He moves closer, and I skirt to the opposite side of the island from him.

"You'll have to pry it from my Cold. Dead. Hands." I say to him.

We stare at each other for a long minute, waiting for the other to make their move. I fake right, and when he falls for it, I go left and leave him in the dust, wild giggles spilling from my lips as I dart into my room and slam the door shut. "Your threats are meaningless, I tell you! Meaningless!" I shout through the door, still laughing wildly.

* * *

 **Edward**

I can't stop smiling as I rest my head on her door, slightly glad that she is in there. I don't know what I would have done if I caught her. "I'll get you back somehow!" I say through the door, knowing I won't. I'll let her have or do anything she wants.

"That'll be hard for you to do if I lock myself in my room." She quips back a little breathless. She laughs again and my heart soars at the sound.

Just then, an idea comes to me, and I'm grinning even harder. "I'll hang a shade on the glass wall and ruin your view." I threaten.

Her giggles stop. "You wouldn't!" Her outrage is adorable.

"I would." My voice holds no room for question.

"Then so be it. The food is worth it."

"You'd really let me starve?" I ask with hurt, trying a different approach.

"Definitely."

I laugh a deep bumbling laugh. "You're cold, Isabella Swan," I say, knowing that she is the exact opposite.

"I guess that means that I fell in that thin ice I was skating on."

 _God, what I wouldn't give to kiss her right now._

Hell, I'd give away all the money in my bank account just to be able to touch her face.

 _Fuck! I am so far gone and I'll be damned if I don't love it._

* * *

 _We heard from Edward! Albeit it was brief, but we heard from him!_

 _It's been a long week for me. My kids have been playing hot potato with a stomach virus and I think I might need new carpet by the time this week is over. Lol! I would have updated sooner but that has been my week._

 _Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to **follow** and **review** to tell me what you think!_

 _Thanks to all my new followers!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry it took so long for an update. The stomach virus my kids were passing around finally got to me and I was laid up on the couch for almost three days. That's also why I didn't answer anyone's reviews. I read and loved all of them!_

 _A big thanks to my beta **SunflowerFran.** She makes my story better and easier for y'all to follow. _

* * *

Chapter Ten

* * *

"You'll do great," Edward says, reaching across the car and giving my hand a squeeze. "I'm sure you'll pass and do it with an amazing score."

Biting my lip, I close my eyes, trying to relax and not be so nervous. I've been studying non-stop since his family left on Sunday and Edward has been great. I didn't see much of him yesterday. He worked from his home office until 11:30 a.m **.** before going into his office until 7:30 at night. He worked at home again this morning. Now he's driving me to take the bar exam while looking sinful in a blue suit. "Are you sure you don't have any work to do?"

He smiles over at me before looking back out at the road. "I already told you I got almost everything completed that could be done from home and what still remains, I will do while you're downtown testing. It's only a ten-minute drive from my business office." He squeezes my hand again before letting go. "Even if I did have work to do, I'd still toss it aside because this is such a big deal. I want to be here for you. All you need to worry about is how bad everyone else is going to feel when you get done before them because you already know all the answers."

I roll my eyes at him and smile. "I'll probably be the last one in there. I'll be checking and re-checking all my answers."

"Either way, I know you'll do great."

* * *

Pulling up to the testing center, my nerves spike. When he pulls up to the curb and parks, I close my eyes and take some deep breaths.

"Hey," Edward says softly. I look at him, and he has the sincerest look on his face. "You, Bella Swan, are going to nail this. You're smart, and you know the law. Everything else is just white noise."

I smile at him, feeling better. "Thank you, Edward. I feel a little better."

He smiles warmly at me. "Anything for you, Bella."

Taking one last breath, filling my lungs with his wonderful scent, I get out of the high-end Volvo he calls his 'everyday' car, and walk into the building.

* * *

Seven hours later, I walk outside to darkness with my phone in my hand, getting ready to call Edward to pick me up. It's then I see him leaning against the side of his Volvo parked under a street light. He's wearing a hat, and thick, black-rimmed glasses, and he's reading a book. He's changed into a casual, button-down patterned shirt and jeans. I walk over, and when I'm only a few feet away, he looks up at me.

"How'd it go?" he asks with a small smile.

"I think I did pretty well," I say. "There were a few times when I got a little flustered but breathing deeply and closing my eyes helped. After I did that for a minute or two, I felt better and dove back in."

"When will you get the results?"

"It can take anywhere from two to four weeks. It just depends on how many people took the exam and how many tests they have to grade." He nods and then opens the car door for me.

When he gets in the other side, he looks over and grins. "I think I need to feed you before we go back home. Especially since I haven't been to the grocery store and we're running low on everything after Emmett raided the pantry on Sunday."

I laugh. "He did eat a lot, didn't he?"

"He always does." He laughs. "I know a great diner on the outskirts of town. It's on the way back. Would you mind going there?"

"Not at all," I say relieved. I was worried he wanted to go to some sort of fancy restaurant or something that would require a dress code. "Right about now, I could really use a greasy burger." My stomach growls at me. I looked down and rubbed it. "I know. I'm getting you something to eat." I tell it.

Edward laughs at me as he pulls out, taking off his glasses. "You should tell your stomach that the steak is better."

"Mmmm. That does sound good." I lick my lips. "I wish they would have fed us. If I'd known, I could have brought a snack, and then I wouldn't be on the verge of starving."

When we pull up to a hole in the wall diner in the middle of a strip mall, I grin. "This place?" I ask him. "I've been here before. This is where my friend Alice and I go whenever we come to Seattle."

"That's awesome." He says, reaching for his glasses.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," I state.

"I don't. They're fake, but when I wear them, I don't get recognized as much." He shrugs. After making sure his hat is on securely, he gets out and runs over to open my door.

"You don't have to do that, you know," I say as I'm getting out of the Volvo.

"I know." He grins at me, and I look away.

When we step inside, a bell hanging on the door notifies the staff, and they look our way. "Eddie!" an older waitress with dyed blonde hair calls to him, smiling to the point where her eyes squint shut. Her skin is dark and thin, indicating that she's spent too many years in the tanning salon. "Long time, no see!"

"Sorry, Janice." He says, moving towards an empty booth. Janice hurries over and pulls him into a hug that he returns. I sit while Edward sits across from me.

"And you brought a girl!" she yells, looking at me with disbelief. "She's a looker."

"Yes, she is." He says with a wink at me. "This is my girlfriend, Bella."

"Nice to meet you, sweetie." She tells me with a wave. "I hope you're not as stuck up as the last one he brought here."

"Really, Janice?" Edward deadpans.

She holds her hands up at him apologetically. "Hey. I'm just saying, the last one…she was not the one for you."

I grin at him before pursing my lips and shaking my head. "Really, Edward," I say, my tone disapproving and whiny. "You told me I was special, that you've never taken anyone here before." I pout for a moment. "You said I was the only one who got to drive your car, too. Then, I found out that Jessica, Mary, Julie, Ashley, Lauren, _and_ Katie all drove it." I fold my arms across my chest and lean back in my seat. "But, I'll forgive you if you buy me a diamond bracelet and take me for a ride in your helicopter."

Janice breaks out laughing. "I like this one, Eddie. She's got a sense of humor."

I lean forward and smile at Edward. He's staring at me. "I like her too." He says before looking back to Janice.

"I take it you won't ask for kale or some fancy water with a name I can't pronounce?" Janice asks me.

"Not a chance." I laugh. "I'm more of a burger and fries kind of girl."

"A woman after my own heart."

"Although, Eddie says the steak is excellent here." I wink at him as I call him Eddie, and he laughs.

"Bob makes the best steaks on the west coast." She says, stating it like I should have known this nugget of information. "I'll order you one. Cooked medium." She's writing down the order before I can say anything, and I giggle.

"Make that two," Edward says.

"Sure thing, darling." She looks over her shoulder and winks at him before turning and looking after another table.

"Sorry about Janice." Edward laughs. "She has no home training."

"I heard that!" she calls out from across the diner.

I laugh. "I like her."

"After she quit trying to get me to go home with her, I decided I liked her too."

I laugh again. "If that's true, she'd better watch her back."

"I decided he probably wouldn't be able to handle me in all my glory," Janice says, reappearing with two glasses of water.

"Oh. Definitely not." I tease him, shaking my head at her. My phone rings then and I pull it out of my pocket. "It's Alice." I turn the phone for him to see her picture displayed on the screen. "Would you mind if I took it? I haven't talked to her in four days, and she's probably ready to combust because of it."

"Of course not. Go ahead." He tells me.

"Thanks," I say, standing and walking outside. "Hey, Alice."

"Hey, former best friend."

I roll my eyes. "I know I haven't called, but it's been crazy here."

She sighs. "I know. You're probably swamped being an intern at Cullen Enterprises."

"Yeah, I am," I say, hating that I'm lying to her. "But they did give me today off so I could take the Bar."

"I know. Why do you think I'm calling?"

I can practically see her eyes rolling from here.

"How'd it go?"

"It went pretty good, I think."

"Whatever." She says flippantly. "You know you aced it." She pauses for a moment before changing gears. "Has Jake called to ask how you did yet?"

I bite my lip for a moment. I can't help but look over my shoulder at Edward through the diner window. "Um, actually, we had a really big fight before I left. We're not on speaking terms yet."

"What was it about?" she asks. Her tone indicates no surprise that we fought, and I notice it.

"It was about the internship." I lie. "He wasn't thrilled about it, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I can tell I'm going to learn a lot here."

"I knew he wouldn't be happy about it." She says knowingly. "He doesn't have you in his 'Jake Bubble' while you're in Seattle."

"'Jake Bubble'?" I ask confused. "What does that mean?"

"Just that he's not the center of your world anymore, at least for right now, and he doesn't like that. You're off doing your own thing for yourself and not for him, for once in your adult life."

The way she says it is as though it's common knowledge. But, the sad part of her statement is that I _am_ here for _him_. He wanted that extra $500,000 for the garage.

 _Do I never do anything for myself? Have I ever done anything for myself aside from becoming a lawyer?_

Actually, I did that partly for him, too. I always wanted to a be a lawyer, but when I met Jake, it transformed into helping him build and run his dream of Black Automotive.

"You still there, Bella?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." I tell her, shaking myself out of my thoughts. "I think he was just upset because he is going to miss me."

 _Yeah. He misses me. I know it._

"I'm sure he does miss you," Alice says with resignation.

"How's Jasper?" I ask, desperate to lead the conversation in another direction.

"He's good. I'm pretty sure his dad is about to turn the business over to him."

"That's awesome, Alice."

"Yeah. Jasper's nervous about it, but I know he'll do fine." Alice's tone is full of confidence.

I look back to Edward and see that the food is now on the table. "Hey, can I call you back later?" I ask. "I'm at the diner we always stop at, and my food was just delivered."

"Oh, yum!" she exclaims. "Okay. Call me later?"

"I will if I don't fall asleep from exhaustion. I've been studying for days, and I know I'll crash once I get back to my place."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too, Alice." I hang up and turn back to the diner. When I walk in, Edward looks up with a huge smile. "Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize." He says as I take my seat. "She's your best friend."

"Yeah. I already miss her." I say with a sigh. "Wow. This steak does look amazing."

"It's fantastic. Dig in."

I smile at him before cutting off a piece. Once it hits my tongue, I moan. "Oh. My. Word. This is incredible."

He chuckles lightly. "I told you so."

When we're back in the car, my stomach is so bloated from too much food, and I can barely breathe. Edward begins to say something, but then he stops. I look at him when a car passes, the headlights lighting the inside of the car, and see that he is worrying his lip.

"Is something bothering you?" I ask him. He glances at me, and when I see his face, I know something is off. I can see he is torn. "Edward, what is it?"

He takes a deep breath before blowing it out. "I know this isn't in the contract, but, I was thinking of buying this arcade/go-cart track/ mini golf place, and I think I need a second opinion."

"Okay," I say, not sure what he is getting at.

"I am going to go see it tomorrow night. Is it too much to ask of you to go with me? Emmett was going to go, but he canceled earlier."

"That's why you looked so nervous?" I ask with a slight laugh. "I'll go. You didn't have to be afraid to ask me. I don't know how much good I can do since I don't know much about investing..."

He cuts me off. "You don't have to know anything specific. I just would like to have a different perspective, another set of eyes. I worry about not catching things when I'm talking with the owner. I've had a lot of people try to hide things from me by distracting me with conversation while I tour places."

"Oh. You want me to be your eyes and ears?"

"Exactly." He says. "But I don't want you to do it because you feel obligated if you don't want to."

"Edward, it's fine, really," I say. "I don't mind. I'll just be sitting at your house by myself if I don't go."

"You sure?" he asks.

"Yes!" I chuckle. "It sounds like it could be fun."

His huge smile lights up the inside of his Volvo.

No headlights needed.

* * *

"Good evening Mr. Hanson," Edward says very formally, sounding every bit the business savvy man he is.

"It's so nice to see you again, Mr. Cullen." The dark headed man coos back excitedly. "Thank you for coming." Mr. Hanson's large belly jiggles aggressively with his overly-enthusiastic handshake.

Edward nods in acknowledgment before turning to me. "This is my...Bella. She'll be helping me assess your property." Edward's business face slips for a fraction of a second then, revealing a wary look in his eyes as he glances away from me.

I think he was about to say ' _this is my girlfriend_ ' but caught himself. Not that it really matters because instead, he said that I'm _his_ Bella when he was trying to stop. I'm sure Mr. Hanson picked up on that because now he's looking at me with knowing eyes.

He reaches out and takes my hand. "Nice to meet you, Bella."

"It's nice to meet you, too," I say, taking my hand back and wiping away the wetness. His hand was unbelievably sweaty, probably from nerves.

"Right," Edward says, his tone tight while his eyes narrow at Mr. Hanson. "Let's get this tour going, shall we?"

"Of course." Mr. Hanson says, jumping into action.

"Why don't I see any patrons?" Edward asks, looking around at the deserted parking lot.

"That's because I closed tonight so I could show you the business without kids and teenagers running all over the place." He nods.

Edward gives him a tight nod back before walking ahead, his eyes roaming the outside front of the building.

Twenty minutes later, and I fully see what Edward was talking about. Mr. Hanson is constantly directing Edward's attention where he wants it, pointing out different things here and there and speaking about them, engaging him in conversation to make sure he is paying attention to exactly what he wants him to see. Every time he points in one direction, I make sure to look the opposite way. I catch a lot of things doing that.

Like how there looks to be water damage in one corner of the building and cracks that have been hastily plastered over in the walls. That could indicate major foundation or structural issues.

When Edward asks about the state of the go-cart track almost forty-five minutes into the tour, Mr. Hanson starts to drone on about how they just made improvements. After closer inspection, it looks as if the rock wall he said was newly built next to the track for aesthetic reasons, was actually constructed for structural purposes. When I linger behind for a moment after he and Edward leave, I notice a few things. The ground looks unstable about ten feet away from the wall. I can tell there was a small mudslide or some kind of sinkhole that was patched up with dirt. I can see it is an entirely different color than the soil everywhere else.

"Bella?" I turn to see Edward looking worriedly at me. He is over by the entrance to the track with Mr. Hanson. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I smile at them. I walk over and join them. "Just a case of nostalgia," I say, trying not to let on that I had noticed what he was trying to hide. "There was a place similar to this about twenty minutes from where I grew up and my friends and I would go there almost every weekend."

"Ahhh! Fun times, right?" Mr. Hanson prods.

"Very fun."

"Then why don't you and Mr. Cullen take a spin around the place?" he says, gesturing around him. "Play some video games, a round of mini golf, and take a spin in the go-carts!"

"I don't think that would be appropriate," I say, looking at Edward.

"I insist." Mr. Hanson says, walking over and grabbing my hand. He pulls me over to Edward and then looks up at him and winks. "I'm sure Mr. Cullen would love to show you a good time. After all, you are ' _his Bella.'_ "

He laughs at my blushing face and then disappears.

"It's not the worst idea," Edward says. "It would give us a chance to better inspect the place. Mr. Hanson has been very persistent in pointing out certain aspects."

"So, I've noticed," I say. "I've also observed some things he didn't want you to see."

Mr. Hanson reappears then with two neon balls, one green and one pink, and two golf putters. "Ladies first." He says, giving me the first choice.

I grin and reach for the green ball leaving the bright pink one for Edward. He laughs to himself and takes the pink one, tucking the putters under his arm.

"You're welcome." I hear Mr. Hanson whisper to Edward before turning and leaving us alone.

"Apparently, Mr. Hanson thinks I need his help in the love department." He looks at me with a sad face. "Do I really look that desperate?"

"Absolutely." I nod with my statement.

His mouth falls open with mock shock. "I can't believe you just said that."

I shrug and walk past him. "I call it like I see it." I laugh when I hear his quick intake of breath.

"I also can't believe you're making me play with this bright pink ball."

He appears beside me at the first hole. "Pink clashes with my skin tone," I tell him. "I just couldn't have that."

He laughs. "Fair enough."

I bend over and set my ball down and inspect the course to line up my shot. "I hope you are prepared to get your ass kicked."

"Oh, I'm prepared. I really suck at golf."

"Really? I thought all businessmen made big deals on the golf course."

"That's just in the movies." He says. "At least I think it is." I glance up at him, and he is wearing a thoughtful look. "Since I suck at golf, I don't go when I'm invited."

"That's probably why you're so destitute," I tell him. My tone is matter-of-fact, and I nod my head.

"I know. I'm practically living in poverty."

We both break out laughing. "I really never understood golf. It's so boring." He says.

"It's only boring if you suck at it." I line up my shot and sink a hole-in-one. I throw my hands in the air and face him. "I happen to think it's really fun."

"Am I about to feel emasculated?" he asks with a quirk of his brow.

"Possibly," I say. "Do you base your masculinity on whether or not you can win at mini-golf?"

"Not really, but _you_ might after seeing how terrible I am at it."

I giggle and motion for him to go.

He walks up to the front of the green and sets down his bright pink ball. When he stands back up and lines up his shot, I know instantly that he is way off. I can't hold back my own smile as he swings the club back and forth, practicing his shot.

The next thing I know, he brings the club back way too far and swings way too hard. The ball goes careening down the green and pings off the brick enclosure. It flies in the air and lands right in front of my feet, bouncing on the concrete sidewalk. I look back up at him with one brow raised. "Wow. That was…." I fold my lips in and bite them to hold in my giggle.

"Not that bad." He says, moving to retrieve the ball.

"That's exactly what I was going to say." I choke out before again biting my lips.

"Liar." He smirks at me.

I raise my hand and hold my thumb and forefinger an inch apart. "Maybe just a little."

He sets the ball back down and lines up his shot for the second time. "Just…tap it," I say.

His brows furrow in concentration, leaving an adorable dimple between them, before tapping the ball.

It only rolls two feet.

He steps onto the green and hits it again, the ball rolling to the brick wall and bouncing off. Two more times and he's finally gotten it in the hole.

"Five to one," I say, moving to the next hole.

"Nah uh." He says. "That first one was a test swing."

"Oh. Okay." I have to press my lips together to stop the laughter in my throat. "Four to one."

The second hole proves to be a little harder, and it takes me three shots to sink my ball. When Edward moves to hit his, I know he's going to hit it too hard. The little devil on my shoulder tells me not to warn him and see where this goes.

He hits the ball, and it bounces off one of the rock obstacles with impressive force before coming back and hitting him in the shin. "Shit!" he exclaims. He reaches down and rubs the spot while I grab the ball before it rolls away down the sidewalk. Thankfully, this gives me a second to laugh quietly to myself. When I look back to him, his cheeks are a flaming red color.

"Here." I hand him the ball and stifle my laughter.

"Thanks." He says, setting the ball back down.

"Try to treat it like an egg," I say. "Hit it stiffly, but not hard enough to break the shell."

He nods his head, and when he hits it again, it rolls almost perfectly down the green. His look of surprise and happiness at this is incredibly adorable. His green eyes are wide, and his smile is radiant when he looks at me. "Did you see that?"

"I did," I tell him. "You were just hitting it too hard. While that was entertaining, I don't want you to knock yourself or me in the head with that tiny pink ball. I can see the headlines now. Edward Cullen: Death by mini-golf."

He narrows his eyes at me, and I break out laughing. "I'm sorry," I say through giggles, not feeling all that sorry.

When I hear his laughter, I look up at him. He's smiling and laughing with me. "You're right. That was pretty funny." He reaches down and rubs the spot where the ball hit him.

"Here, let me look at it." I get down on one knee and pull up his pants leg. Halfway up his lower leg, I see a bright red spot that is definitely going to leave a bruise. I run my fingers over the bump and look back up to him. "I'm sorry sir, but we're going to have to amputate your leg. There's too much damage. There's nothing I can do for you."

He rolls his eyes and laughs, holding his hand down to me to help me up. I take it and stand. "It's a good thing you're not a doctor."

"Tell me about it. I can't even look at blood without feeling faint."

"Ahh. So, you _do_ have a weakness. I was beginning to think you didn't have any."

"I might have a few," I say noncommittally.

"Like what?" He asks, leading me to the next hole.

"Red and purple gladiolas," I say with a smile. "They're my favorite flowers and the color combination when bundled together is stunning. My grandmother used to grow them in her garden. I would run around through them, and she would let me cut my favorites and take them in the house. I always picked the red and purple ones."

"Gladiolas and blood." He says with a smile. "What else?"

"No way." I shake my head. "I can't give away all my weaknesses. I have no idea if you would use them for good or evil. That kind of power in the wrong hands could be catastrophic."

He laughs again, and I find that I really like his laugh. "You're right. Catastrophic indeed."

It takes a little while, but when we are done with mini golf, me beating him senseless twenty-nine to we-stopped-counting-at-fifty-five, he leads me over to the go-cart track.

"Seriously?" I ask him as he pulls me by my hand. "You drive sports cars. You'll kick my ass."

"I have to redeem myself somehow." He says.

I shrug and nod. "This is true." I jerk my thumb over my shoulder at the golf course. "That was a pretty brutal beatdown."

"And it's precisely why I must reclaim my manhood with speed." He inspects the three go-carts under an awning at the front of the group and points to one. "I'll even let you take the fast one."

"How generous of you." I quip at him, grinning and take a seat in the one he pointed to. He leans over me and pulls the cord, starting the engine. I pull out of the parking area and roll up to the line. I hear him bring another cart to life before he's beside me.

When I look over to him, he's smiling, and his eyes are alight with excitement. "Five…four," he shouts over the sound of the engines. I rev mine, and he revs his back. "Three...two,"

"One!" I shout and take off, leaving him at the line. I giggle wildly while I hear him coming up beside me.

"Cheater!" he yells over the roar of the go-carts. We hit our first curve then, and he actually drifts through it, leaving my mouth hanging open at the sight.

 _I didn't know go-carts could drift!_

The only thing I see after that is the back of his bronze head before he laps me on the last lap. He is an incredible driver.

When I come to a stop beside him, I look over and notice that he looks amazing with windblown hair. "That was fun." He says.

"It was. You took those corners like a professional."

"I love to drive fast."

"I would have never guessed that with all the sports cars you own."

Just then, Mr. Hanson comes around the back corner of the building. He's grinning from ear to ear. "That was incredible Mr. Cullen. You're an exceptional driver!" He claps his hands together a few times to applaud him.

I unbuckle myself and get out of the cart. Edward waits for me before joining Mr. Hanson on the side of his track. "Did the two of you enjoy yourselves?" he asks.

"Yes, we did. Thank you for letting us do that." Edward says with his professional voice.

"Of course. It was no problem at all." Mr. Hanson coos. "Would you like to talk numbers now?"

I reach my hand out and touch Edward's arm. He looks to me, and I raise my brows and nod gently toward Mr. Hanson. He seems to understand what I'm asking and nods back.

I look to Mr. Hanson, and he smiles over at me. Since Edward and I never got around to talking about the problems I saw around the property, I feel I should speak up at this time. We were too busy laughing and talking about other things.

 _It was really nice._

"Did you know, Mr. Hanson, that you are required by state law to disclose any structural damage you are aware of when selling a property?" I ask him.

The smile drops from his face for a moment before he puts on a very unconvincing innocent look. "I'm not aware of any structural issues. My business is in tip-top shape."

"Is that why you built a retaining wall on the side of the go-cart track? I could see that you tried to patch up the ground where it started to wash away. Unfortunately for you, I saw where you only did the bare minimum, and the ground is already eroding beside the wall. Not to mention the cracks in the wall inside the building and the water damage along the baseboards. I also noticed where you replaced the felt carpet in that corner. Fyi, next time, you'll want to replace all the carpet in the room, so someone like me won't notice where it was stitched together."

Edward's eyes narrow at the man. "You didn't disclose any of those issues to me."

"I…uh…" Mr. Hanson stutters, surprised by the turn of events.

"You've wasted my time, Mr. Hanson." Edward's voice is hard and clipped. "This deal would have still been possible if you had told me about the issues, but since you tried to hide them from me, I'll make sure everyone knows about your questionable ethics. Goodbye, Mr. Hanson."

Edward reaches back to me, grabbing my hand, and we walk out. Once we're in the car, he looks to me. "You were great back there. The look on his face when you called him out was priceless."

I blush a little. "All I did was look in the opposite direction he wanted you to look."

"I noticed the replaced carpet, but the other two things, I completely missed." He says. "Once again, thanks so much for coming with me. You really didn't have to."

"I know. I'm glad I did, though. I had fun kicking your ass at mini-golf and pulling the rug out from under that guy."

"I had a lot of fun too." Then his face turns slightly sour. "Except for when I got hit with the ball." He reaches down and rubs the spot on his shin.

"You are such a baby. I would have never guessed." I say with a somber tone, shaking my head in disappointment.

"I am not." He says indignantly. "I was just trying to gain more sympathy from you."

My mouth falls open in outrage. "You were trying to make me feel bad for you?"

He cranks the car then and pulls out of the parking space. "Well, I was hoping you'd agree to get some ice cream on the way home to make me feel better. I figured if you felt bad for me, you'd be more receptive to the idea." He looks over and winks at me.

I just shake my head at him and fold my arms across his chest. "Shame on you."

"So, that means you don't want to go get ice cream with me?" he asks.

I'm quiet for a moment as he pulls out into traffic. "I never said that." I scowl at him when he tries to cover up a chuckle. "Just be glad I have a weak spot for ice cream."

"Ahhh. I've made you reveal another weakness."

I scowl at him then and look out of the front windshield. "Dammit," I mutter lowly, causing him to laugh out loud.

* * *

Today is Thursday, and I have to go and find another dress. Looking down at my belly, I regret eating so much ice cream last night. Not only did I give myself a brain freeze when eating ice cream inadvertently turned into a competition with Edward, but my stomach also didn't like the combination of the cold treat with the greasy burger we ate afterward.

There is another ball tomorrow, and I'm upset with myself for not going back to see Siobhan sooner. I should have gone yesterday while Edward was working in his office, but I got engrossed reading a book in his library. When I called her late in the day, she didn't sound too upset that I waited so long.

I leave my room and head for Edward's office. I've noticed he does a lot of work in the morning at home and then goes into the office sometime before noon. Knocking on the door, I hear him say come in. "Hey," I say, peaking in the door.

"Morning, Bella." He says with a wide smile. "Are you leaving to go to Siobhan's?"

"Yes. That's actually why I'm here." I step in, and he gets up from behind his desk, walking around it and leans on the front, facing me. "I was wondering if I could borrow a car. I'd drive my truck, but I don't think I have enough gas to get there and back. I have almost half a tank, but my truck eats gas."

He gives me an easy smile. "You don't have to ask, Bella. You can drive whatever you like."

"What about the Volvo? I wouldn't feel comfortable driving one of your sports cars to go shopping. That seems a bit excessive to me."

"Of course." He says. He pushes away from the desk then. "I'll show you where the keys are."

I follow him into the garage and he walks over to a tiny cabinet on the wall. When he opens it, there are a few sets of keys hanging on hooks, just like in his big garage. "Here you go."

He hands me a set. "Thanks, Edward. I think I'll go ahead and get the rest of the clothes shopping out of the way while I'm in the city. I'm upset with myself for waiting so long. It's really irresponsible."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. You had to study for the Bar exam and took a day to rest and read a book. You deserved to do that." He reaches over my shoulder and pushes a button on the wall. The garage door starts to roll open. "Maybe we could meet for lunch later?" he runs a hand through his hair, looking a little nervous. "My schedule is pretty flexible today."

"Okay," I say with a smile, liking the idea myself. "Can I call you when I'm done? Or maybe in between shops or something?"

He beams at me. "Yeah. That sounds great."

"Awesome." I blush when he doesn't let go of my gaze while I can't seem to look away either. After another few moments, the air starts to charge with electricity, and I clear my throat. "I'd better get going."

He tears his eyes away, nodding. "Okay. Drive safe."

I hop in the Volvo and don't dare look up at Edward as I back out of the garage. I can't risk this feeling inside my chest growing deeper, and at this moment, if I look back at him, I know it will.

* * *

 _Up next is their lunch date and another charity ball. Bella also finds something else about Edward that makes her like him even more (if that's even possible). What was your favorite part of their sort-of date?_

 _Also, I know the Bar exam takes two days to complete. I'm pre-law in college so I know the ins and outs of it. For the story's sake, the test will only take one day._

 _Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget to **follow** and **review** to tell me what your thoughts are!_


	11. Chapter 11

_A huge thanks to my beta **SunflowerFran.** She always makes my chapters better. Any mistakes left are my own. _

* * *

Chapter Eleven

* * *

It was easy for me to find two more dresses at Siobhan's. Her designs were flawless. When I walked out with a fitted black number and a sexy, deep green silk dress, I was beyond excited to wear them. Usually, I don't pay much attention to clothes, but with Siobhan's designs, it was impossible not to want to wear them everywhere.

When I see it's only 10:30, I decided to make an attempt at finding a nice, semi-casual dress for a garden party scheduled for next week. When I saw it on the itinerary, I actually had to look on a search engine for advice on what to wear, and precisely what a garden party was. Basically, it's a fancy barbeque.

It takes me a little longer to find a dress for the garden party, but after some help from a sales girl at the upscale shop, I walk out with a pretty white dress embellished with a blue floral pattern and some high-heeled wedges. I briefly wonder, while juggling the bags, what the cost is of the items I've bought, but then quickly dismiss the thought. I probably don't want to know anyway. Edward told me these were the places he set up a line of credit, and that's all I need to know.

By the time I'm pulling up to his office downtown, it's 12:30 and shopping has made me hungry. Thankfully, there is an empty parking space out front with a sign that says, 'Reserved for Mr. Cullen.' I figure that since I'm in his car, I can park in his space. Once I'm parked, I pull out my phone.

 _What floor are you on?_ I text. When I don't get a response after a few minutes, I decide to go inside to find him. I tell the receptionist in the lobby that I'm here to see Mr. Cullen and she directs me to the 43rd floor.

When the elevator doors open to his floor, I step out and head straight for the reception desk just to the left of the elevator. There is a very pretty woman on the phone who looks to be in her late twenties or early thirties manning the desk. She glances at me when I approach and holds a finger up to me with a smile. "That sounds wonderful." She says with a cheerful voice and a bright smile into the phone. "I'm sure Mr. Cullen will be thrilled to hear that."

 _She seems really nice._

I glance around and see two men and a woman in business suits sitting in a waiting area. I give them a polite smile.

"Okay. Great. Buh-by." She hangs up the phone and smiles up at me. "How may I help you?" When her eyes glance down at my jeans, shirt, and cardigan ensemble, and her smile turns a little sour.

I self-consciously smooth down my hair that is pulled into a ponytail before speaking. "I'm here to see Edward Cullen." Unfortunately, when I say that, it comes out sounding like a question.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asks, placing her hands on the keyboard, ready to look up my name.

"No. Not exactly." I say.

She pulls her hands back. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Cullen doesn't see anyone without an appointment."

"Well, I'm not here to see him professionally," I say. "I'm his girlfriend, and we're going to lunch together." The lie, while it feels foreign on my tongue, sends a thrill through me.

When I register the look on the woman's face after the words are out, I'm suddenly concerned about my safety.

 _Maybe she's not so nice._

"And I'm the Queen of England." She says sarcastically, fluffing her short brown hair, before fiercely narrowing her eyes at me. "Do you know how many of you come up here saying the same thing? You'd think you women would have learned by now that that line doesn't work."

My mouth falls open a little in surprise. I watch as she reaches over and pushes a button on the side of the reception desk. "What is that supposed to mean?" I ask her.

"It means that I just called security and you now have two options."

I look back at the people in the waiting room, and sure enough, they are looking at me after hearing the receptionist's last sentence.

"You can either leave now on your own, or you can try and keep up this charade, and three security guards will drag you into the elevator and toss you onto the street." She gives me a self-satisfied smile as she folds her arms across her chest. "Like he would go out with someone like you." She scoffs and looks pointedly down at my clothes.

"I suggest you pick up your phone and tell Mr. Cullen that Bella Swan is here to see him," I tell her, leaning forward and scowling at her. "But that's only if you want to keep your job." I raise one brow at her.

"You have approximately fifteen seconds before security gets here." She smirks at me, unphased by my words.

"Fine. Have it your way." I say with a shrug. I pull my phone out of my pocket and quickly dial Edward's number. When he doesn't pick up, I dial again. When I hear heavy footsteps coming from down the hall to my left, I look and see three burly men in black and blue uniforms stomping their way to the desk, their eyes trained on me.

This time, he answers. "Hey, Bella. Sorry I didn't answer your call just a moment ago. I was wrapping up a meeting."

"Don't worry about it," I say with a smile, unable to _not smile_ when I hear his voice. When I look back at the security men only a short distance away, I tense at the look they are giving me. "But, you might want to worry about the three security guards coming my way right now."

"What?" he asks, sounding very confused.

"I'm on your floor to see if you're ready for lunch, but when I asked to see you, your receptionist called security on me."

"You're going to have to come with us." A man, the size of the Jolly Green Giant, says looking down at me. One of the other men grabs my upper arm firmly while the third one moves behind me.

"Please take your hand off me," I say to the one holding my arm.

"I'm almost there," Edward says stiffly into the phone.

"Nice try." The receptionist says to me. "Who is that on the phone? Your mom?" She laughs to herself.

"No. It's me." Edward says from somewhere behind me. His voice is unbelievably curt.

The look on the receptionist's face when she sees Edward is pure dread.

I jerk my arm from the security guard just as Edward says in a deadly voice, "Let go of her."

I spin around as the men step back and come face to face with a furious looking Edward. When his eyes meet mine, they turn worried. "Did they hurt you? Are you okay?" He reaches out and places his hands on my upper arm where the security guard was holding me. He's breaking the contract, but looking at his face, that seems to be the last thing he's thinking about. He looks nothing but concerned.

"I'm fine. Just really annoyed." I say, my face scrunched up into a small scowl.

His eyes dart back up to mine, and he gives me a half smile, laughing gently. "I can see that."

"And just a tad embarrassed." I glance around Edward and see the two men and a woman staring at me.

He looks behind him at the people and then back to me. "Don't feel embarrassed, baby." That's when he looks over my head at the receptionist, dropping his hands from me. "It's Chelsea who should feel embarrassed."

"I'm so, so, sorry, Mr. Cullen." Her words stumble out of her mouth. Glaring, I turn to face her after the way she slyly insulted my looks. "I thought she was just another crazy, like the one last week."

"Did you decide that before or after you mocked the way I looked?" I ask. I know this will only anger Edward further and might be a tad bit petty, but he really should know that his employee is insulting people based on their looks.

When the security guys start to walk away, Edward stops them. "You two." He says, pointing at the two men who didn't touch me. "Escort Miss. Kerry off the premises. She no longer works here."

I lean up and whisper in his ear. "Is that really necessary?"

"Yes. I've overlooked a few things before because she is very efficient at her job, but no more. I can't have her insulting anyone. It reflects very poorly on both my company and me."

I nod in understanding.

Chelsea is tearing up now, her gray eyes pleading at Edward. "Please, Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry. Don't fire me for this one thing."

"Chelsea…" he says in a clipped tone.

"I had no idea that she knew you." She shoves her finger in my direction while staring at Edward. "We've worked together for almost four years. I _know_ you, Edward. I know your likes and dislikes and everything else about you."

"That's enough!" He shouts, cutting her off. "Not once have you attempted to apologize to my girlfriend for being so rude and insulting."

Her eyes cut to me and for the briefest moment, she glares at me before apologizing. "I'm sorry Miss..."

"Bella Swan." I offer her my name, which she has clearly already forgotten from when I told her it earlier.

"I'm sorry, Miss. Swan." She says. "I was rude and out of line."

I give her a tight nod before looking away.

The security guard who grabbed me is looking a little gray around the gills now that Edward has turned his attention toward him. But before Edward can say anything, he looks to me. "I'm so sorry, Miss. Swan. I shouldn't have touched you like that. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I tell him. "Just really hungry."

I hear Edward choke out a small laugh before I look at him. "Then let me remedy that problem for you." He's smiling at me now, his eyes twinkling the way they always do.

I reach out and grab his hand. "Good. Because I'm about to die of starvation."

His lips twitch with a small chuckle that he holds in.

I give his hand a tug and lead him to the elevators next to the desk. "Where do you want to go?" I ask.

"Where ever you want."

"How about Mexican? Endless chips and salsa sound perfect right about now."

"Mexican it is."

The elevator dings and opens a few seconds later. As we are stepping in, I look back over to Chelsea, and the look she is giving me is enough to make chills crawl up my spine. The amount of hatred pouring from her eyes was palpable.

I'm thankful when the doors close, leaving me alone with Edward.

"When you said you had overlooked some things with your receptionist, what were they?" I ask.

He chuckles humorlessly. "Well, for one, she's told more than one attractive woman that was here to see me, that I was gay."

My eyes widen, and my mouth falls open.

"Yeah." He says, nodding. "Chelsea told a pretty female client I was gay, but still in the closet after my client mentioned she thought I was extremely handsome."

"Oh my gosh. Why would she do that?"

"Because she has a thing for me. She's become more and more flirty and forward as time went on and this past Valentine's Day, she asked me to go on a date with her. When I politely declined, she seemed fine with it at first. A week later was when she started to tell my women clients I was gay or would imply that I was in a relationship with her."

"Edward, she sounds crazy," I tell him.

He shrugs. "She's a phenomenal receptionist and secretary, that's why I tried to overlook it. I guess the way she treated you was my tipping point. I can't let her continue to lie or insult anyone in this building based purely on their looks."

He looks at me from head to toe and then smirks. "And anyway, I'm positive she was just jealous of insanely beautiful you are. You possess no physical flaws that I've seen."

Of course, I blush. "That's because you haven't seen the birthmark on my hip. It looks like President Nixon's profile."

Edward bursts out laughing. His eyes are almost crinkled shut as he looks at me. "Now I have to see _that._ You can't just say that and not let me see it."

"Well, it is getting warmer outside. Maybe you'll catch me taking a swim in your pool and then you'll be able to see it. My bathing suit doesn't cover it."

 _Oh my gosh. Am I blatantly flirting with him?_

Yes.

Yes, I am.

His eyes darken. "That sounds like a plan to me."

I drop my eyes to the floor and bite my lip.

 _YOU'RE ENGAGED!_

I scream this at myself until we step off the elevator and into the lobby.

* * *

"So, what is tomorrow's charity event for?" I ask. "The schedule said it was called Maggie's Purpose?" I reach for a chip and dip it in the salsa as he does the same.

His face turns a little more somber when I ask him, but he quickly smooths out his features. "Maggie was my little sister. She was killed by a drunk driver when she was seven."

My stomach drops to my feet.

I reach out and place my hand over his on the table. I don't say anything. Instead, I offer him comfort with my eyes and twine my fingers with his, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. I nod and smile softly, encouraging him to go on.

"She loved when I played the piano. She would climb up on the bench next to me and lean her head against me and watch. I had been giving her lessons for a few months, and she really had a knack for it, playing with two hands in under a month." He smiles sadly and looks down at the table. "She would have been better than me in no time. I'm certain of it."

Tears well up in my eyes. He sounds so forlorn. So sad.

"My mother was driving when a woman with two previous DUIs ran a red light and broadsided the car." He gulps and takes a quick, deep breath before continuing. "When the woman was questioned about why she drove, even though she knew she probably shouldn't have, she said that at the beginning of the night, she had already made up her mind that she was going to drive home. She said she didn't want to bother anyone by asking for a ride and didn't want to have to pay for a cab. She said she only had three drinks that night compared to when she got her other DUIs and thought she was fine."

"Oh, Edward," I say softly. I rub my thumb over the top of his hand, spreading the tingling sensation all over his skin and mine.

"So, I started Maggie's Purpose. The woman took away whatever Maggie's purpose in life could have been, whether it was to be a ballerina, a doctor, president, an astronaut, a mother, whatever she dreamed of being. Her choices were taken from her. Whoever was to be her future husband will never know of her. All the lives she could have touched just by being herself...are gone. All because this woman didn't want to be inconvenienced.

"Now, Maggie's Purpose educates high school and college students how only a small amount of alcohol can make someone over the legal limit. We do demonstrations in gymnasiums, print pamphlets, and make PSAs telling them that even one beer can impair your judgment and reflexes and prevent you from being a responsible driver. We figure if we can educate them from a young enough age, they will be more likely to remember and understand what a .08 alcohol level is. Hopefully knowing that will lead them to make better decisions when the time comes.

"I'm hoping to start passing out mini breathalyzer tests in the future. I have a research team trying to come up with a cost-effective way to manufacture them so they can be distributed. Kids and adults can then test themselves before getting behind the wheel."

"That's amazing, Edward," I tell him. "What you're doing with high school and college kids is really smart. Most people think you have to drink a whole six-pack before you reach the legal limit when in reality, it can be as little as one beer."

He nods. "That's exactly right. If I can prevent at least one or two people from drinking and driving, then everything I've done has been worth it. No one should have to go through what my family did."

"You're right. No one should. You, Edward, are preventing that. Maggie would be so proud of you, just like I'm sure your parents are."

His face sours for a moment, and he looks down at the table again, pulling his hand from mine. "I'm not so sure about Maggie being proud of me." He says it so low I barely catch it. The doubtful look on his face prevents me from saying anything. I can tell there is more to the story that he isn't telling me.

"Thank you for telling me about her and why you started the charity," I say, wanting to wipe away that look on his face. He gives me a sad smile and picks up my hand, leaning forward and bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss.

"Thank you for listening." He says. "Talking to you is just so easy. I always say more than I plan to."

I give him a big smile. "You can tell me anything. I just want you to feel better and be happy."

"You make me feel better, and I'm so happy when I'm with you." He says, looking deep into my eyes.

I swallow past the boulder in my throat and look away. I let my hair fall in my face to create a curtain, shielding me from his piercing gaze. It affects me in ways that are very dangerous. And then when he said those words…

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." I stand and disappear deep into the back of the restaurant, almost knocking a woman into a table in my haste to get away. After splashing some water on my face to snap myself back to reality, I walk back out with a big grin on my face. I sit down and pretend he never said what he said about me, quickly lapsing into one of the normal, natural conversations we have every day.

* * *

Edward will not stop looking at me.

I look from his gaze back to the window of the car. I can feel his eyes on me, making me wonder how he is able to drive and not crash the car.

I run my hands over my updo to make sure my hair is still pinned back. The slit in the dress is revealing most of my left leg to him, so I reach down and inconspicuously try to pull it closed. When he first saw me tonight coming out of my room, he actually choked. His surprised intake of breath turned into a small coughing fit while his eyes lingered on the long slit in my black dress. While still very tasteful, the slit allows my left leg to peak out when I walk.

"You look amazing in that dress." He says lowly for the fourth time.

"So you've said." I remind him with a smile and a laugh to hopefully break the tension building in the car.

It doesn't work.

I return to looking out at the city passing us by.

When we finally pull up to a magnificent, early nineteenth-century building, I almost jump for joy. I had started to contemplate if it would be so bad just to lean over and rest my hand on his thigh. That was a very dangerous and horrible line of thought for me to have when I'm engaged.

Once again, photographers are waiting. The moment he steps out of the black Ferrari we are in, the flashes from the cameras almost blind me. He hurries over to my side and holds out his hand for me when he opens the door. I take it, and by the time I'm standing on the sidewalk next to him, the questions are coming.

" _It's the same girl!"_ someone shouts.

 _"What's her name, Edward?"_

 _"Who are you wearing tonight? Your dress is amazing."_

 _"Is she your girlfriend or is she your beard? A source close to you said you were still in the closet."_

 _"Are you going to marry her?"_

 _"How did you manage to land Edward Cullen?"_

Edward wraps a protective arm around me, resting his hand on my lower back as his other one extends forward and makes a path for us after a couple of photographers come too close.

"Excuse me." He says tightly.

Thankfully, the door to the building isn't that far from the sidewalk. He opens the door for me and ushers me inside. When the door is shut, I take a calming breath. "How do you get used to that?" I ask him.

"I don't," he replies. "It's just a small price to pay for tonight. I'm hoping we reach our goal this evening because we almost have enough money to branch out into the Midwest."

"That's incredible," I tell him.

"Edward, Bella." I look ahead and see Esme coming towards us. Her face is bright and open just like her arms. She pulls me into a tight hug before kissing Edward on his cheek. "The both of you look amazing!"

"Thank you," I say.

"That dress is stunning!" Esme coos, holding me at arm's length, looking me up and down. "Is it from Siobhan's?"

"It is."

"I love her."

"Me too. Everything I've seen of hers has been nothing short of spectacular." I say. That's when I notice that half the people in the large foyer are staring at us. I can see a grand ballroom at the far end where the foyer ends. The intricate woodwork that is all over the walls and trim is reminiscent of Victorian England.

Esme notices me checking out the place and smiles. "This was built by one of the first investors of Henry Ford. He was from London and thought the idea of motorized carriages was brilliant."

"Well, he was right," I say with a chuckle.

"Come on," Esme says, taking my hand and placing it on her arm. "Come and meet some of my friends."

I chance a worried glance at Edward, and he steps forward. "Mom. We just got here. You can't take my girlfriend away before I've had a chance to introduce…."

Esme cuts him off. "Nonsense. You see her all the time. And anyway, I won't keep her long." She turns to me with the most hopeful smile. "You don't mind, do you, Bella?"

 _Well, shit._

"No. Not at all." I smile back. Edward leans forward then and kisses me on my right temple before whispering, "Tug on your right ear when you want me to rescue you."

I release a breathy chuckle and smile at him before his mother pulls me away.

"First things first." She says cheerfully, leading me inside of the ballroom. "You have to meet my best friend, Carmen."

"Okay."

"There she is!" she says and waves at a pretty blonde woman in the corner, flanked by two other women. Something about her face looks familiar.

"Carmen. I'd like you to meet Edward's girlfriend, Bella."

I reach out and shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Carmen."

"So, you're the girl who stole Edward away from my daughter, Tanya."

My smile immediately disappears from my face. "I, umm…" I say, sounding very unintelligent, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

"Really, Carmen?" Esme says flatly. "Edward and Tanya broke up over six months ago. Don't be rude."

"That's a drastic change in your thinking since last Saturday when you were helping Tanya get ready for the ball, promising her that you'd convince Edward to give their relationship another chance."

The other two women around us manage to look extremely uncomfortable while also seeming as if there's nowhere else they'd rather be at the same time. It's somewhat impressive.

"You told her Edward missed her desperately." Carmen continues. "And that you always knew they were perfect together."

"That's because I didn't know he was with Bella," Esme says, motioning to me.

I turn my head, desperately looking for Edward. It takes me a whole two seconds to find him. He's looking straight at me as he speaks with someone with their back to me. I reach up and begin to tug furiously on my ear.

He immediately excuses himself and starts to make a b-line for me. I turn back around to find Carmen staring at me incredulously, her brow raised. "Maybe he didn't tell anyone because he was embarrassed by her." She says, taking a sip of the wine in her hand. The other two women are still flanking Carmen and have to turn away to hide their chuckle.

"No. It's because he wanted to protect her from people like you." Esme spits back at her. "I'm so disappointed in you, Carmen."

"Excuse me, ladies," Edward says with the utmost civility, placing his hand on my back. I look up to him and sigh with relief. "I'm going to have to steal away my beautiful girlfriend for a moment." He reaches around and grabs my hand and pulls me away.

"That was quick." He says.

"Well, I wasn't expecting your mother's best friend to be the mother of your ex." I deadpan. "Let's just say she wasn't too thrilled to meet me."

Edward's face darkens as he looks back over to Carmen. She and Esme seem to be having an intense conversation. "What did she say?" His face and voice are tight. Even though he is trying to hide it, I can tell just how angry he is.

I smile at him, reaching up and touching his cheek. "Don't worry about it," I say, hoping my words and my touch will help calm him. "It looks like your mom is handling it."

For a moment, he seems surprised at my touch before quickly reaching up and holding my hand to his cheek, stopping me from pulling away. His eyes close and he takes a deep breath. "I just…" he opens his eyes back up, and his gaze burns right through to my insides. "I feel very protective of you."

He slowly lowers both of our hands, taking my other one and holding them between us. "These people can be vicious underneath all their fancy clothes and perfect facades."

I offer him a soft smile. "I know," I tell him. My heart is pounding in my chest from the look in his eyes. "Can we just stay together the whole night? I don't think I'd be able to hold my tongue the way I just did if that happens again."

His eyes twinkle at me. "I won't let go of you once."

While I know I shouldn't, I feel better when he says that. The thought of holding onto him all night makes my stomach feel light and heavy at the same time. I can't control the smile and nod of affirmation I give him. When I start to feel guilty, and my thoughts begin to turn towards Jake, I rebel against it, redirecting my attention to Edward and being the girlfriend he needs me to be tonight.

 _I can worry about everything else later. It won't hurt anything to enjoy myself tonight._

My hand fits perfectly in his and the electricity that comes from his skin is addictive.

* * *

It's an hour later when we finally sit and eat, and Edward has been true to his word. He's either been holding my hand or resting it on my back as we moved through the crowd. When Emmett and Rosalie arrived twenty minutes after we did, it was harder for Edward to keep his promise. Emmett kept trying to get me to go with him somewhere because he was adamant he wanted to talk with me about something. I almost caved into his request when Rosalie, who had mostly been quiet since their arrival, rolled her eyes and said, "He wants to ask you if you'll help him prank Edward."

After Rosalie gave away what Emmett was up to, he had been sulking, looking like a little boy, sitting across from us at the round table with his arms crossed. When Edward is pulled into a conversation with the wealthy man sitting next to him, I raise my hand and wave it inconspicuously, low to the table to try and get Emmett's attention.

It works, and he looks up at me. I grin at him and mouth _I'll do it._ His responding smile is incredibly infectious.

After a very delicious dinner, Edward and I are pulled into the silent auction room adjacent to the ballroom. He walks around looking at the prizes and checking to see how well the auction is going. "Looking at the bids, we are so close to the goal we set." He says once we take a turn around the room.

"How close are you?" I ask him.

"About fifty thousand dollars short."

I smirk at him. "Well let me see if I can help." I walk over to where a Georgia O'Keeffe painting is up for grabs. I pick up the pen there and start to write.

"What are you doing?" he asks. He's standing right over my shoulder and looking down at what I'm doing.

"Well, I've come into some money recently, and I want to put it to good use," I tell him, setting down the pen and smiling up at him.

His eyes widen when he looks at the amount I've written. "Twenty-five thousand dollars!" he whisper yells.

"Yes. I really hope I win it because the painting is beautiful. What's it called?" I lean forward and read the little plaque in front of it. "Music Pink and Blue ll."

"Bella. That's a lot of money."

"I know."

He studies me for a moment, his green eyes turning to molten lava.

"Now, you're only twenty-five thousand short." When I say that, my words are way too breathy and my voice shakes.

His eyes dart down to my lips, and his breathing accelerates while his skin flushes. When he looks back up to my eyes, I realize we have moved closer to each other. "How are you so unbelievably amazing, Bella?"

"Edward." His name glides off my tongue like silk and I blush.

He steps impossibly closer. I feel his fingertips sliding down from my wrist, and he grabs my hand. "You really didn't have to do that."

"But I really wanted to. For you…and for Maggie."

"I know," he says, lacing our fingers together, his eyes holding mine. "Thank you."

I glance down at his lips briefly before looking back up into his eyes. "You're welcome."

"I need to tell you something…but I can't," he says.

"What is it?" I bite my lip as I try hard not to wonder how his lips would feel on mine. "You can tell me anything."

"I can't tell you this. Not now. But just know that I really need to."

"I'm confused."

"Close your eyes, Bella."

"Why?" I ask. When I chance a look around, wondering if he's worried that someone will overhear, I notice we are the only ones in the room and there is a man with his back to us, blocking the door.

"Because, I have to tell you somehow, and I can think of only one way to do that."

I want to scream out a million questions at him, but instead, I do as he asks.

I close my eyes.

A few seconds go by before I feel his breath on my face. I think he is telling me without telling me, his lips forming the words without sound. My body feels as if it's being overloaded with my other senses now that I have no sight. Like the fact I can feel the heat of his hand hovering next to my face and that his head is tipped forward, his forehead only an inch from mine. His thumb that is tracing circles on the back of my left hand is shaking slightly, just like my breath that is coming from my now open mouth.

It's over quickly, but it felt like an eternity. He dips his head further, kissing me on my cheek, his lips lingering a long while before he pulls back and I open my eyes.

The moment between us was intense, something I've never experienced before, and looking into Edward's eyes, I'm sure he is thinking the same thing. "We should get back to the ball." He whispers as if he is afraid that speaking too loud will shatter whatever this is passing between us right now.

All I can do is nod and pray that when we start to walk, my legs, which feel like jelly right now, will cooperate and I won't end up faceplanting on the ground.

It doesn't take long before the spell I was under is broken. When we leave the room, me holding onto Edward so I won't fall over, we run into Demetri who has Chelsea hanging off his arm.

* * *

 _So, we didn't get to Bella finding out something about Edward that makes her like him more. The chapter got too long so that will take place in the next chapter. What do you think about Carmen and Chelsea? Do you think either of them are going to make trouble in the future?_

 _Anyway, thanks so much for reading and **don't forget to** **review** and tell me what you think!_

 _Have a great Thanksgiving to my American readers!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks to my beta, **SunflowerFran.** Any mistakes left are my own_.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

* * *

My face immediately sours.

"Dimitri," Edward says in greeting. He looks to Chelsea. "What are you doing here, Chelsea?"

"I'm his date." She says, pulling Demetri closer, holding tightly to his arm.

I look up to Edward to see his jaw clench and then relax. "I hope the two of you enjoy the rest of your evening." He nods. When he places his hand on my back to guide us back into the ballroom, Dimitri steps forward and holds his hand up to Edward.

"Can I speak with you for a moment, Mr. Cullen?" he asks. "There was an issue that came up with the Marquis account."

"Whatever issue there is, you can take it up with John. He's running point on that account."

"But it's something I think you should hear about." He emphasizes.

"If that is true, then John will tell me about it _after_ you go to him first. My focus tonight is on this charity and my girlfriend. Now, excuse us." Edward is clearly agitated with the two of them as he leads us away.

"You okay?" I ask him, placing my hand on his forearm and pulling him to a stop along one of the walls in the ballroom.

When he turns and looks at me, I can see fire in his eyes. "He's really starting to piss me off." He says, trying to reel in his anger that is simmering under the surface. "He's been staring at you all night and smirking. I hadn't seen Chelsea with him until just now, and I'm wondering why that is. I'm pretty sure he brought her just to piss me off after I fired her."

I can see the wheels turning when I look in his eyes, and the distress on his face upsets me. "Edward, it all could be nothing. Maybe Chelsea was trying to keep out of your sight because you fired her yesterday. She could have been his date before you fired her as well. You all do work in the same building so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for them to come here together." I reach out and grab both of his hands, which are clenched into fists. I rub his fingers until I am able to wiggle mine under his and lace them together. His whole demeanor changes from that action, and he sighs and closes his eyes for a moment. "And anyway, tonight isn't about Dimitri or Chelsea. It's about honoring Maggie and this incredible charity you started in her name."

He takes a deep breath, and I give him a small smile. "You're only $25,000 away from your goal. Don't let him or anyone else stop you from going up to some old rich guy and schmoozing him till he gives you all his money." He chuckles, and that makes me smile. "And I wouldn't even be that opposed to giving him a little bit of a shimmy if it would help." I wiggle my shoulders back and forth a little, making my chest jostle lightly.

His eyes light up with amusement and something else. "If you did that, he would sign over everything he owns."

I roll my eyes. "Sure."

"You could test it on me and see what happens."

I laugh and shove him in the chest playfully. "Honestly, Mr. Cullen. I thought you were a gentleman."

"That was before you shimmied."

I giggle and blush. "Come on." I tug on the hand I am still holding and turn to face the crowd. "Who haven't you hit up for money yet?"

His eyes scan the crowd. "That one, over there." He points, and I look. There is an older man, maybe in his late sixties, early seventies with a woman who looks vastly younger than me clinging to him. I look back up to Edward and raise a brow. He laughs. "I know. I think he has a granddaughter close to her age."

I shiver with revulsion.

"He's loaded but is notoriously stingy with his money. He only bid $10,000 on a prize that's worth $50,000 in the silent auction."

"Well then, let's go see if we can change that," I say and lead him to the couple as they speak with another old man. "Excuse me," I say to the girl on his arm. She turns and looks at me curiously. "Your dress is stunning. Where did you find it?" I lie through my teeth. The question is just an icebreaker because her bright pink dress would be better suited for Malibu Barbie. It is barely covering any skin. Large, slutty-placed geometric cut-outs plague the dress from top to bottom. It's clear she is wearing absolutely no underwear.

She turns a bit more towards me and catches sight of Edward. She immediately straightens and gives him a coy smile before looking back to me. "Stephen, how are you?" Edward says to the old man as he shakes his hand. "And you," Edward says, turning to the woman, "you look wonderful as well. I'm so sorry I don't remember your name. I know we met two months ago…"

"Nevaeh." She says, holding her hand out daintily. Her voice is airy and sultry. "It's heaven spelled backward."

Right here, at this moment, it takes every ounce of the willpower I've accumulated over my whole entire life to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

 _Of course, she has a stripper name._

Edward reaches out and quickly shakes her hand. "Of course. How could I have forgotten?" He then gestures to me. "Stephen, I'd like for you to meet my girlfriend, Isabella. Bella, this is Stephen Vachon. He owns more local radio and television stations around the world than anyone could count."

He eyes me up and down before shaking my hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," I reply. I look back to _Nevaeh_. "You must tell me where you got your dress."

She gives me a sort of superior grin before she says, "I designed and made this myself."

"Wow." I sigh. "Such a talent. Are you a designer?"

"Yes. That's how I met Stephen." She looks to him with a fake smile. "My father set up a meeting with him and his horrible ex so I could design a dress for her. When we laid eyes on each other, that was it. The rest is history." She forces a giggle when he pulls her close and tickles her side.

"That's so sweet." I almost gag on my own words. "You must show me some of your other designs."

"Look at that, Edward," Stephen says. "It looks like your girl admires mine." His voice and smile are smug and triumphant as he looks at Edward.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it," Edward says, understanding lighting his eyes as he looks at me.

A man like Stephen needs to have his virility and manhood validated constantly. That's why he's with someone so young. Having me, the girlfriend of one of the wealthiest men in the world jealous of something he has, makes him feel superior to Edward, which is something someone like Stephen lives for.

Stroke his ego. Compliment him. Make him feel superior.

"I'd love to show some to you." She says to me. "I have a few on my phone." She pulls her phone from her clutch.

As she starts to drone on, showing me pictures of dresses that look as if they were attacked by bears with how many tears and shapes are cut into them, I hear Edward start to compliment Stephen on some business venture that went really well last month. Edward, who clearly doesn't need them, asks Stephen for some pointers in investing, and the old man loves that.

Ten minutes later, just as I'm about to scream if Nevaeh tells me about another clothing store her father owns, Edward touches my elbow, hopefully, to pull me away. When I look at his apologetic face, I know that won't happen. "Stephen wants to get one of his business associates to tell me this funny story about a meeting that went horribly wrong, but I don't want to leave you."

"Go ahead," I tell him, hating that he wants to leave me here with Miss 'My-daddy-is-so-rich.' "I'm having a great time with Nevaeh."

The look on his face says he knows I'm lying. He leans in, and when he kisses my cheek, he whispers, "Thank you. You're incredible."

When he turns and leaves, Nevaeh immediately changes pace. "So, you're with Edward Cullen?"

"Uhm...yeah," I say in an obvious tone.

"How in the world did you land him?" she says, ogling him as the two men approach another older man.

"I didn't do anything," I say. "I was having dinner at a restaurant when he saw me at another table and approached. We started talking and hit it off."

"Lucky." She says. "He's so gorgeous."

"Yes. I think so too." I try not to sound annoyed with her sudden change of subject.

"What I wouldn't give for one night with him." She giggles and elbows me playfully as we look at him. "Just kidding!"

 _Yeah, sure you are you, dumb bitch._

I force a laugh and recite the penalty for battery in Washington State to keep myself from hitting her. I try to focus my eyes on Edward instead.

"My daddy always said Edward was crazy though." She shakes her head. "He said that anyone who gives away half their personal and corporate money to charities every year is clearly off his rocker. It's so wasteful."

My head snaps to her so fast that my neck cracks. "What?"

Nevaeh doesn't see this because she's too busy staring at Edward. She just continues talking like I didn't say anything. "Cullen Enterprises pulls in over fifty billion a year. After operating costs are paid, he just takes half that money and _gives it away_ before using the rest to invest." She sneers and shivers like the idea of giving away that much money to charity is disgusting. "That's crazy. I'm sure his future wife will put a stop to his insanity. I know I would."

"Excuse me," I say, needing to be far away from this woman. I walk away, still in shock at what she just said. I just might hit her if I stay.

My mind is reeling at this new piece of information. My heart, on the other hand, swells in my chest.

Every time I turn around, I find out something new about Edward that surprises me. And it's always a good thing, too. It's never anything bad. Even though I already knew he was a good man and very humble, I had no idea he was possibly the most generous person in the world.

I already knew he wasn't wasteful and didn't spend his money to excess. His home was a testament to that even though he admitted he spent a lot on cars. As he said, it was his one vice.

But to just give away half of his earnings...my mind couldn't properly comprehend it.

When I feel his eyes on me, I look up to him from where I'm standing by the door. He asks me with his eyes if everything is okay and I smile and nod. "Stay." I mouth at him. I don't want him to miss out meeting his goal because of me. "Bathroom," I mouth.

He gives me a small smile before I turn and go. When I open the door to the bathroom, I groan. Chelsea is standing at a sink, touching up her lipstick. Her hand stops halfway to her mouth when she sees me.

"Isabella Swan."

"Chelsea," I respond and move into a stall. I do my business and fully expect her to be gone when I come out.

She's not.

"You must think you're so fucking special." She half-smiles, half-sneers at me. "You got me fired."

"I did no such thing," I say, moving to the sink to wash my hands. "You did that yourself."

"Where did you come from anyway?" she asks, folding her hands across her chest. "No one's ever seen you before, much less heard of you."

"Have a good night, Chelsea." I dry my hands with some paper towels and leave the bathroom, grateful she doesn't follow me. In my haste to get away from her, I almost run into Esme when I step through the door.

"Bella! I've been waiting to speak with you all night, but the look Edward would give me any time I headed your way, had me backtracking." She chuckles nervously and looks down at her feet before looking back at me. "I wanted to apologize all night about Carmen. I had no idea she would react that way."

"It's all right, Esme. You have no control over her. What she said was not your fault. There's really no need to apologize."

"Yes, there is." She steps forward and takes my hands. "I'm sorry I brought you into that."

"Don't worry about it. I promise. I'm just glad she got that out of her system. Hopefully, it will be smooth sailing from here on out." I give her a hopeful smile.

She smiles warmly at me. "I'm sure it will be." She drops my hands, and we start to walk back to the ballroom. "Now, I have to warn you about something." She says seriously. "Carlisle hasn't stopped talking about what a wonderful dancer you are since the Musical Children's Ball last week. He'll be waiting to pounce and ask you to dance the first chance he gets now that Edward has let go of you."

"I'd love to. It'll be my way of thanking him for giving me such a wonderful compliment."

True to her words, Carlisle is waiting at the door. He grins at me. "Fortunately for me, Edward has let you out of his sight. This means I can now ask you to dance." He offers his hand for me to take.

"Not so fast, old man." Edward appears beside me and grabs the hand I was extending towards his father's. "The night is almost over, and I haven't even had the chance to dance with my beautiful girlfriend."

A huge smile takes over my features. "That's a little presumptuous of you, don't you think?" His brows furrow. "You haven't even asked me if I want to dance with you."

The confused look on his face quickly turns to relief and happiness. "I'm so sorry, Miss. Swan." He holds my hand up between us and bows lightly. "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

I blush. "Well, since you asked so nicely…"

He quickly pulls me to the dance floor, neither one of us taking our eyes off the other. His mom and dad are almost completely forgotten by me.

When we start to sway and spin to the music, his hand on my back and pulling us closer, I'm reminded of how dangerous this was for me last week. Before I can take a small step back and put some distance between us, he starts to talk. "I can't say this enough, but you, Bella Swan, are incredible." His eyes are twinkling as he looks down at me. "You are a genius. Stephen was beside himself that you liked his girlfriend so much. Apparently, most people haven't taken too kindly to her."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say that I liked her…."

"Oh, I know," he says with a wink. "He loved the fact that you, my girlfriend, made her happy. He led on that she was more… _giving and free_ …when she was happy."

I shudder, and he laughs.

"He donated $75,000 tonight, Bella, thanks to you."

"Really?! That's fantastic!"

"No. You're fantastic." He spins me then and pulls me back to him, a bit closer this time. I don't fight it and settle into his arms. It's not as if our bodies are pressed up against each other. There is a good inch or two between us. "You made my dream of expansion come through."

"No, I didn't. I just distracted his jailbait so you could work your magic."

He laughs at my joke. "Definitely jailbait."

"Do you think Nevaeh makes all her clothes? If so, God help us all."

When he laughs, I can't stop myself from staring at him. He's so beautiful when he laughs and smiles so fully.

After a moment, he leans down and whispers in my ear. "Don't freak out, but we're the only ones on the dance floor." He stands up straight, and I look around, noticing he's right. Everyone has cleared the floor and are watching us.

"Why?" I ask, holding my smile up at him for the crowd.

"Because I'm supposed to be accepting a check, but instead, I'm dancing with you."

I notice a man on the stage who is smiling at us with a piece of paper in his hand. He's clearly waiting for him. "Then what are you waiting for? Go ahead."

"No way." He says. "I'm finishing this dance with you first. The song is almost over anyway. They can wait."

I dip my head and stare at his chest feeling overwhelmingly special for some reason.

It's not long before the song ends. When it does, the crowd around the dance floor applauds. He kisses my cheek briefly before walking up to the stage and accepting the check. Edward grabs a mic from the man and turns to the audience. "First, I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone for coming out tonight and donating to Maggie's Purpose. Thanks to a last-minute donation, I'm thrilled to say that we've reached our goal and will be able to take our cause further into the heart of America."

The room erupts with applause as he gives the mic back and walks off stage, his eyes on me while his feet carry him closer. He's stopped by someone before he makes it to me.

"I've never seen him so happy." Carlisle has come up and is standing beside me. He's watching his son. "It's almost as if he's woken up from a long coma." He looks meaningfully at me.

"And you think I'm responsible for that?" I ask surprised.

"No. I _know_ you are."

I'm stunned into momentary silence. "No, I don't think that…"

Edward's voice interrupts me. "You ready to go?" He has made his way to me and taken my hand. "I'd like to get out of here and go home before I'm pulled into another conversation. I'd much rather curl up on the couch and watch a movie with you until we fall asleep."

"Go. I'll hold them off." Carlisle grins at me. "Take my boy home. Doctor's orders."

I chuckle. "Well, in that case…"

Holding hands, Edward and I walk back outside to a flurry of flashes, practically running the whole way to his car.

 _"Tell us her name, Edward!"_

 _"How does your ex, Tanya, feel about her?"_

 _"Since you're gay, is she really a man pretending to be a woman so you can stay in the closet?"_

For some insane reason, I find the last question funny and so does he. We start laughing and don't stop till the city lights are behind us.

* * *

After I fell asleep in the car on the way back to his place, we went our separate ways, and I was in bed in under ten minutes.

Saturday morning for me starts around 9:00. I hadn't realized just how tired I was and overslept. I wanted to get up at 7:00 and workout since I have been so lazy this past week. After showering, I dress in jeans and a t-shirt and leave my room.

After getting an apple and some water, I go outside on the back deck, not seeing or hearing Edward inside the house. This deck has quickly become my favorite place to be. I love watching the birds flying around or just admiring the view. His home is so high on the hill that you can see for miles over the treetops, and now that it's late spring, the wildlife is more active. I swear I think I saw a bear the other day down at the water's edge.

Some movement catches my eyes. I look down and to my right, seeing something big moving on the ground through the small breaks in the trees. I don't move so whatever it is won't see me and be scared away. With the glimpses of color I get, I think it might be a deer.

Only four seconds pass before it breaks through the tree line.

 _Oh! It's Edward. He's jogging._

….and he's shirtless. And sweaty. And wearing a backward cap and dark gray shorts.

And he's _shirtless_.

His body glistens in the sun from the sweat covering his bare chest. The light catches his skin, and it almost looks like he's covered in glitter when it reflects the sunlight. In fact, it perfectly highlights his washboard abs and his sculpted pecs.

 _Swoon._

He checks the watch on his wrist and frowns, obviously disappointed with his time. He then rests his hands on his hips, slowing his pace before stopping. His chest is heaving with his deep breaths, much like mine is, only for a different reason.

My pulse is nothing short of erratic as I watch this beautiful man like a stalker. I thank my lucky stars when he starts to stretch, twisting his body in ways that make me clench my thighs together.

He finishes and runs inside through the lower level. I dip back inside the house and hear him running up the stairs by his bedroom before hearing his door shut. I lean against the glass wall, and when the Edward fog clears a moment later, guilt takes over.

"I'm engaged," I say aloud to myself, my mood drastically changing for the worse. I need to be thinking about all the years I've spent with Jake and all the love we've shared. The only reason I'm here is so we can have a great, happy future together. I shouldn't let Edward's physical appearance distract from that. I won't be here for the rest of my life. I will be with Jake.

My heart catches in my chest. It's a weird feeling, and I'm not quite sure what it's for or where it came from. It kind of hurts. It almost feels like it was being stretched or….moved.

 _Weird._

I shrug it off, not wanting to spend the day analyzing what that feeling was. I go back outside on the deck and eat my apple. When I am halfway done with my water, Edward comes out to join me. "Morning."

"Morning," I say back, peeking up at him. He's freshly showered, and his hair is somewhere between wet and dry, sticking up in a few places but somehow still looking perfect. I'm leaning on the railing, and he copies me.

"I was thinking about going fishing today." He says, giving me a nervous sort of smile. "I was wondering since you like to fish, I thought maybe you'd like to come with me. I'm just going to go down to the edge of the water there." He points out at the river bank down below.

Since my plans for today had been to sit around and read, I shrug. "Yeah, sure. That sounds fun."

He relaxes and smiles hugely. "Okay. I'll go get everything. Meet me downstairs in five?"

"Okay." I follow him inside and head towards my room. "I'm just going to change into some shorts since it's a little warm," I call after him.

"That's probably a good idea." He says looking down at the jeans he'd put on. "I'll see you outside."

* * *

Three hours and one mild sunburn on my forehead later, we are headed back up to the house with two rainbow trout and one cutthroat. "I can't remember which ones I caught," I say as I look down at the fish he's carrying.

He glares playfully at me. "All three of them."

"Oh yeah. That's right." When his glare intensifies, I laugh and elbow him lightly in his side. "I just got lucky, that's all."

"So, what do you want to do with them? I thought we could try to make some sushi."

"That sounds great." I smile. "I never get to have it because Jake refuses to try it."

The smile that was on his lips immediately dies. "What's wrong?" I ask him, even though I think I know what is wrong.

"Nothing." He says, shaking his head and looking straight ahead. "I have to warn you, though." He looks back down to me. "I'm still trying to get the hang of it. Sushi is really hard to make."

"So I've heard. I don't think I will ever know how they get all that rice to stick so perfectly together."

"That's where I've been running into trouble."

"Well, now that you have an extra set of hands, we might just be able to get it right. Do you have everything we need?"

"Actually, I don't think so." He says. "We might need to make a run to the grocery store."

"What time is the dinner tonight?" I ask him. We have to eat dinner at a nice restaurant with two of his biggest donors to thank them for their support.

"It's at eight."

"How should I dress? I don't know where we're going or what the expected dress is."

When he doesn't answer right away, I look up to him. There is a hint of nervousness in his eyes. "Well, is there any chance you brought the blue dress from the first night we met?" He chances a brief glance down at me before looking straight ahead. He betrays no emotion with that glance. "It looked really great on you, and it would be appropriate attire."

"Actually, that wasn't my dress," I tell him. He looks to me in confusion. "It was Alice's. I don't have anything that nice in my closet."

"Oh." He sounds downtrodden with that one small utterance.

I look down and smirk, wiping it off my face before looking back up to him. We've reached the house now, and he opens the door for me that leads into the gym. "But I did buy a cocktail dress in the same color blue the other day."

He smiles. "Great. That color looks amazing on you."

"Thanks."

We walk in silence up the stairs, and he sets the fish in the sink when we get to the kitchen. "Let me take a second to look around in the cabinets and figure out what we need."

"Okay. I'll go wash my hands and change shirts. I feel like I smell like fish." I wrinkle my nose after pulling up my shirt and taking a whiff of it.

"I'll do the same after I dump some ice on these babies." He grabs the ice dispenser from the freezer and pours the contents over the fish.

Five minutes later and he is leading me to the garage that is separate from his house. "We're taking one of your sports cars to the grocery store?" I ask.

He chuckles. "No. I like to take my old truck out every once and a while, so it's not just sitting there, wasting away."

My face lights up. "Yes! I get to ride in your infamous truck!"

He looks confused by my enthusiasm. "Umm, yes?"

"Sweet." I grin.

When he opens the garage, I run to his truck and waste no time hopping inside. I can hear his laughter without even looking at him. He's still smiling when he gets in. Looking over at him behind the wheel, he looks comfortable, as though this truck is somehow a manifestation of his personality.

He cranks the truck and buckles up.

"I do have one question for you, Edward before we pull out," I say. He looks over to me.

"What is it?"

I grin devilishly and throw myself down on the bench seat, resting my head on the door and kicking one leg up on the back of the seat while the other one rests on his knee. "Is this how the girl was when you gave her a black eye?" I slide down a bit more and throw my arms over my head. "Or was she like this?"

I watch as he tries to decide whether to be upset or amused by my antics. Although he narrows his eyes at me, there is a small smile on his perfect lips. "Oh. So you've got jokes, eh?"

I can't help but dissolve into a fit of giggles, clutching my stomach.

"Oh, ha-ha." He deadpans. When I am able to open my eyes again, wiping away my hysterical tears, I see him watching me with a huge smile.

I pull myself up when I feel the truck start to move. "The look on your face was priceless." I laugh at him.

"Well, I'm glad you find me so funny."

"And I'm so glad Emmett told me that story."

"You know, that doesn't seem all that fair." He says looking at me. "You know this incredibly embarrassing story about me, and I know none about you."

"And you think I should tell you one to even the score."

"It's only fair." He shrugs. We pull out onto the highway, Edward shifting gears with ease. His forearm muscles flexing with each movement are absurdly distracting.

"Okay. I'll tell you one." I relent. "Since we are going to the grocery store, I will tell one shopping cart-related incident."

"Oooo. Now I'm intrigued." He says with a smile.

"Ugh. I can't believe I'm about to tell you this." I put my hands over my face for a moment before looking at him briefly. He's patiently waiting with a smile.

"Okay. So, I went to the grocery store with my mom when I was visiting her after I moved here to Washington. When we walked in, there was the guy who I had a crush on for years working at the cash register. I had been gone two years at this point and had finally… _developed_." I raise my brows at Edward, willing him to understand. I know he does when he mirrors my look.

"Right. So, I walk in, and we catch each other's eye, and he actually does a double take at me. I go and grab a shopping cart, and when I look back at him, he's giving me this flirty smile and I giggle. Not thinking straight, high on my forever crush actually looking at me instead of through me, I try and do something I think would be cute. I don't know why I thought it would be cute, but I did. I blame my muddled, hormonal teenage brain for it." I sigh and shake my head at my stupidity.

"I hopped up on the cart, holding onto the handle, planning to push off and go gliding by him, riding it like a scooter or something. Unfortunately, I forgot that in order for that to work, there has to be something in the basket to balance my weight. So, when I hopped up onto the shopping cart with my full weight, mind you, all the while making heavy eye contact with the guy, I go flying backward, the cart sliding out from under me and landing on my legs as I fell on my back."

"Oh my gosh." He laughs.

"Yeah. I never got the hang of flirting. I was always pretty inept when it came to that." I shake my head at myself and nudge Edward when he doesn't stop laughing. "Oh, come on. I didn't think it was _that_ funny."

"Did the guy you had a crush on say anything to you?" he asks.

"He came over, bent down to me and said, 'Are you okay? That was brutal.'" I shake my head. "Yeah, I left the store after that. My mom had to do the grocery shopping by herself while I hid in the car in utter shame."

"That's still not as bad as giving my date a black eye."

"No, it's not. But that experience solidified that I was never going to move back with my mom. Not to mention my ego was forever damaged."

"Does this mean I will have to push the shopping cart around the store?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes. I'm terrified of them," I deadpan.

He laughs. "All right. Weakness number four: shopping carts."

I cut my eyes to him. "I can't believe you're keeping track of my weaknesses! And anyway, shopping carts are not a weakness of mine."

"I think the guy you had a crush on would think otherwise."

I reach over and playfully punch him in the shoulder. "You just think you're so funny, don't you?"

"I happen to think I'm hilarious."

"I beg to differ." I fold my arms across my chest, smiling to myself.

"Liar."

"Jerk."

"Liar again."

I try to stop from smiling, but I can't.

"See. You can't even keep a straight face."

I scowl out the window, hating that he is right.

* * *

We're walking back out to his truck after grocery shopping when he calls my name. I turn to him from where I am by the front of the cart. True to his word, he didn't let me push it citing he was afraid for my safety.

"Hey, Bella."

"Yeah?"

"Wanna drive the truck home?" He holds the keys up and jingles them.

My eyes almost pop out of my head with surprise and excitement. "YES!" I shout. "Oh my gosh, I wanted to but didn't want to ask. I know what the truck means to you." I bound over to him and grab the keys before he can change his mind.

"I knew you wanted to." He says with a contented smile as he watches me.

"I promise I'll treat it perfectly. I won't even go over the speed limit."

"The gear shift will sometimes stick when shifting into fourth. It's always been like that though."

"Good to know." I jump up excitedly when we reach the truck and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much." I squeal as I get into the driver's seat and he chuckles at me. When he finishes putting the groceries in the bed of the truck and gets in, I look over to him. He's got the biggest smile on his face as he looks at my excited one. "Ready?" I ask.

"Very ready." He replies.

I roll my window down and nod for Edward to do the same. There's nothing like riding down the road during the summer with the windows down.

Once we're back on the highway, my hair flying all around my face, I look back over to Edward, feeling his eyes on me. "What?" I ask. He has this easy smile on his lips, and his eyes are so soft.

"Nothing." He says. "I like seeing you smile so much."

"Well, you letting me drive your truck is the highlight of my week so far. Of course, I'm smiling."

"That's just it." He says watching me as I look back out at the road. "You've been to two grand balls where you got to dress up and ride in expensive cars. And yet, driving my old truck is what makes you the happiest."

I shrug. "I like your truck. I know what it means to you and the fact that you let me drive it…it makes me feel special. More special than when I got to dress up and have my picture taken with the most eligible bachelor in the U.S., even if he is gay."

His guffaw of laughter startles me, and when it doesn't stop, I join in and laugh with him.

"You think you're so funny, don't you?" he asks.

"I happen to think I'm hilarious," I say back, echoing his earlier words.

His laughter at my statement only proves it.

"I really like you, Edward Cullen," I tell him. "I really hope we can be friends after this month is over."

I glance at him when he doesn't respond. The smile he was sporting is completely gone. "Yeah. Me too." He says.

Only when he says it, it sounds like he hopes for anything other than for us to remain friends. The rest of the ride back to his place is quiet with only the radio providing background music from the nineties.

* * *

 _So, how do you think Bella handled everything? How did you like them spending a more laid-back and normal day together?_

 _Anyway, thanks for reading my story and don't forget to **follow** and **review!**_

 _The holidays are upon us and because of that, I'm busier. I am going to try to keep up the regular pace at which I've been updating, but I make no promises that the schedule won't be delayed by a few days here and there. Sorry. :(_


	13. Chapter 13

_Thanks to SunflowerFran for being my beta and getting this chapter back to me so fast. Any mistakes left here are my own. **Also** , there is sexual content in the latter part of this chapter and there will be more later in the story. **Fair warning.**_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

* * *

 **Edward**

Dinner last night with my biggest donors was superb. Bella, of course, looked nothing less than stunning in the blue cocktail dress she wore. That color on her is perfect. It brings out her deep brown eyes and creamy skin. The way the dress's neckline was cut caused me to have to adjust my pants more than a few times at the restaurant.

"Shit," I say, reaching down and adjusting myself, pulling at the now tight fabric of my pants. I swear my balls are going to be as blue as that dress by the end of the month.

Ugh.

Once that thought runs through my mind, my whole body recoils. My heart spasms painfully in my chest.

I push myself away from my desk and lean back in my chair. Running my hands down my face roughly keeps my eyes from tearing. I'm so fucking in love with her that I can barely function.

The worst part is that I have no idea what's going to happen when the month is up.

It's so incredibly frustrating. I know for sure she finds me attractive. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at me. Especially when she bites her lip. It's something I've noticed she does when she's aroused by me, but she doesn't realize she's doing it. I find it especially hard to stop myself from kissing her when she does that.

Actually, it's just really hard not to kiss her _every moment_ of _every day_.

 _Stupid fucking contract._

"Fuck." I groan, knowing that even if there were no contract, I still wouldn't kiss her because she's still _engaged_ to that unworthy man.

Since I met her, words like 'engaged' and 'fiancée' have become words I can't stand. I cringe when I hear them. Usually, it's because they come mostly from Bella. A not-so-subtle reminder that no matter how much I want it and how well we convince people of our coupling, she's not mine.

But the absolute worst part of this whole ordeal is _that I know she is falling in love with me._ There is no longer just lust in her eyes when she looks at me. I can see there is something real and deep there, just below the surface.

It's too bad she seems to be so damn stubborn. Too stubborn to realize that we are soulmates. I've known it from the first time we locked eyes in that crowded, over-priced restaurant. I saw her soul's recognition of mine in her eyes that first moment. There was this overwhelming urge to run to her and touch her skin - wrap her in my arms and never let her go – and kiss her.

It took me a while to notice she was even with that fool. When I did, it was very apparent that he wasn't good enough for her, even from a distance. He would never be the man she hoped he would be. In fact, without her, his business is as good as dead. He'll never have more than one garage, never expand and make it a brand like he thinks he will.

 _He's already blown through half the money in their account anyway. All of it Bella's._

Too bad Bella will never hold him accountable. It's clear she couldn't care less for money. From what I've observed, she's quite uncomfortable spending it. So, Jacob taking all her money, and doing God knows what with it, probably won't be a deal breaker for her. She'll just end up making excuses and exceptions for him. She's so used to putting up with him and his antics that she probably doesn't know there is anything wrong with what he does. She doesn't realize he takes such advantage of her… it makes my blood boil just thinking about it.

They've been together since they were kids and she admitted she's never been in another relationship. That's why I'm trying to show her how great it could be with me and how she's supposed to be treated … _and how much I love her._

"Ugh!" I pull on my hair in frustration. I don't know what the right thing to do is. All I know is when she called me after the first time I saw her in the restaurant, I realized I had to find a way to keep her in my life. I knew that meeting them and giving Jacob Black a loan wasn't going to cut it. That's when I remembered this movie from the early nineties that my mother watched. It gave me the idea for this whole deal. Knowing I would most likely lose all the money I gave Black wasn't even the slightest deterrent if it meant I got Bella in the end. And even if I don't get a forever with her, at least I got a month.

At least that's what I'm telling myself. I know it will kill me when she leaves, but hopefully, once she's back in the arms of that buffoon, she'll realize that she loves me. I'm putting all my eggs in that basket, and that terrifies me.

My mental dialog is interrupted by a timid knock at my door. I smile, knowing it's Bella. "Come in."

When she peeks her head in the room, my heart stops.

"Um … a car just pulled up outside."

My brows furrow. Only a few people have access to the gate.

I get up and look out the window to see Emmett tugging on Rosalie's arm. He's saying something to her, and she sighs, giving him a nod. "Emmett," I murmur, his name sounding like a curse word as it comes out of my mouth.

"Oh." She says from right next to me. I didn't hear or see her approach. I look down, and my heart aches in my chest to touch her.

And just like that, my irritation at my brother showing up unannounced is gone. Him being here gives me a reason to have physical contact with Bella.

I school my features into a frown before she looks up. "Sorry, I didn't know he was going to stop by."

A sly smile pulls up her perfect, luscious, pink lips. "That's okay. This just means I might get to hear more stories from your days of giving girls black eyes." She giggles hysterically as my expression sours.

"Come on, Rico Suave." She grabs my hand and electricity shoots up my arm. "Let's go welcome your brother."

I follow her willingly to the front door where Emmett is already pounding to get in. Bella lets go and hurries ahead, swinging it open. "Hey, Emmett and Rosalie!"

Ever the gracious and wonderful human being she is, there is absolutely no hostility in her voice when she says Rosalie's name, even though she has been less than pleasant to Bella.

"What's up, lovebirds?" Emmett bellows out, wrapping Bella in his huge arms. He pulls me in for a one-armed hug. "Thought we'd stop by and see if the two of you were up for going downstairs and playing some pool?"

"So, your plan was to just stop by and impose your presence upon us?" I shut the door behind them as I follow Emmett while he heads straight for my kitchen. I see Rosalie give Bella a timid smile before following her husband.

That surprises me.

"Basically." He shrugs. "I know you hate going out in public since, for some reason, the media has deemed you the sexiest bachelor alive. You know, since I'm a married man and all, you were the second best choice for that title."

My eyes roll.

"I think I might have to disagree with you." Bella chimes in with a smirk. "I'd still think Edward was hotter if there was a contest between you and him."

"You have to say that since your sleeping with him." He says obviously.

 _I wish._

"So, Rosalie has to say it because she's married to you?" Bella asks.

He huffs loudly. "Puh-lease." He says, grabbing a stack of chips – the only junk food I have – and popping open the top. "She'd say it cause it's true."

I feel Bella lean into my side and grab my hand.

It _thrills_ me.

"You're too…bulky," she says, motioning towards Emmett. "I like my men leaner with long musculature, like a lion. You're more like a bear."

"Heaven knows he eats like one." Rose chimes in with a giggle. She looks to Bella. "We spend more money on food than I do on clothes and shoes."

Rose suddenly seems to be making an effort toward Bella. I don't know if I should be suspicious or grateful.

Bella's brows raise with surprise. "Wow. That's impressive."

I grab Emmett's shoulder and shove him out of my kitchen. "Get out before you leave me with no food. Let's go downstairs."

"Prepare to be humiliated in front of your girl, Eddie," Emmett warns. "I'm going to kick your ass."

I groan at the dumb nickname he knows I can't stand.

"If anyone is going to be humiliated, it's you," Bella says, letting go of my hand and punching Emmett playfully in his shoulder. "My dad has had a pool table in his basement since I was nine."

"Oooo. Scary." He says sarcastically.

"I've never seen you smile so much." Rosalie's voice is low and quiet. She's walking beside me and slows down until we're a few feet behind them.

"Yeah, well, she makes me happy." I glance at the back of Bella's head, and the smile already on my face grows. I seem to be unable to stop myself.

"I see that." Her voice sounds remorseful. "I'm sorry about everything. I'm going to try and get to know her since it seems as if she'll be around for a while. And anyway, Emmett will be furious if I don't." She chuckles nervously. "He says he doesn't want my attitude to cause problems in your relationship with her. He really wants you to be happy."

She tucks a long lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "What I'm trying to say is that I won't let my friendship with Tanya interfere with you and whoever you want to be with. Even if I hate that it's not Tanya."

"I just didn't feel that way for her…"

She cuts me off, pulling me to a stop as Emmett and Bella round the corner and head for the stairs. "I know that. I saw it when you were dating, but I didn't…I was hoping it would change."

"It won't."

"I know." She takes a cleansing breath. "As I said, I want to start over. Do you think it's already too late? Does she hate me?"

I chuckle at her worries. "Not at all," I say. "Bella couldn't hold a grudge if she tried. She's incredibly understanding and forgiving. I just really hope you mean it."

She nods. "That's good. And I do mean it. I promise I do."

I start walking again. "Come on. I think Emmett is about to get served some humble pie."

She gives me a small smile. "I'd like to see that."

By the time we make it downstairs, Bella and Emmett have already started without us. She looks up at me and grins. "Sorry, babe, I just couldn't wait to get him to shut up." She nods towards my dumb brother as my heart soars in my chest.

 _She called me 'babe.'_

It's the first time she's called me anything other than Edward.

"Don't worry about it." I fold my arms across my chest and lean on a bar stool to watch. "I just really hope you're good enough to beat him."

"Don't worry. I've got this." She winks at me as she leans over the table. She studies the angle of her shot before she makes it. She shoots and hits the cue ball. When she looks back up to me, I have to move my eyes from her chest before she catches me staring at her cleavage p **ee** king out of the neck of her shirt. Seeing the mischievous look in her eyes, I didn't fool her. "See. Only four more of my balls are left."

"And how many of Emmett's?"

"Six," Rosalie calls from the other end of the bar. She's leaning over the side and grabbing a soda from the mini fridge.

Bella takes another shot and grins when she makes it. "Three."

"Oh, come on!" Emmett gripes. "You've got to be cheating."

She laughs, throwing her head back.

 _God, she's so beautiful._

"That's right. I'm psychic and knew you were coming over to play pool. Then I put magnets in all the striped balls and forced you to hit the solid in when you broke the rack. I have a remote in my pocket controlling it all, pulling the stripes into the pockets. All just so I could beat you." She moves to the side of the table closest to me and leans over, readying herself for the next shot.

I have no shame as I stare at her ass pushing against her tight jeans as she bends over.

"It was all a part of my dastardly plan to humiliate you." She takes the shot and sinks two of her striped balls in one pocket. "One."

"She's like the Rain Man of billiards." Emmett groans.

Bella laughs hard as she moves around the table. "I'll take that as a compliment." She lines up her next shot and, of course, sinks it. "Eight ball, corner pocket."

Emmett throws his hands up and lets his pool stick fall to the floor. "Unbelievable."

The grin on her face is smug as she hits the eight ball. It bounces off a wall and rolls slowly into the corner pocket.

 _I love her so much._

"Rematch!" Emmett shouts.

"I don't think you'll get any better between five minutes ago and now." Rosalie chuckles.

An hour later, we are all sitting on the couch downstairs, and Emmett is sulking, looking at the television screen with a pout. He and Bella only played one round of his favorite video game before he threw the controller on the ground playfully. She beat him mercilessly.

"How did you beat me?" he grumps. Even though he sounds upset, there is a small smile playing around the corner of his lips. He's impressed. It's obvious he really likes her.

I watch as her face falls a bit. "My…uh…my ex, he played _a lot_ of video games. I learned how to play so I wouldn't be so mad that he was spending so much time playing them. I thought we could do it together." Her face falls some more. "He got upset when I started to get better and began beating him. Said I was taking all the fun out of the one thing he could do to relax."

 _That fucker._

I know she's talking about Jacob. He's not even man enough to allow her to be better at something than him without making her feel bad about it.

"Well, he sounds like an ass." Rosalie states.

She immediately jumps to his defense. "He's not," Bella says. "He just wants…wanted an escape from everything, and I inserted myself into what he was doing. It was intrusive of me to do that. I should have just left him alone and found my own hobby."

Emmett looks at her like she has just grown two heads. "I'm sorry, but that's stupid, Bella." He huffs. "I'd give anything to get Rose to play with me. It sounds like that guy was an ass who was threatened by you and had to make you feel bad for being better than him at something."

 _Thank you, Emmett!_

"You were reaching out to him, trying to get into something he liked so the two of you could do that together, and he just shit all over it because his ego was hurt." He huffs again. "I hate guys like that."

Bella frowns, looking down at her hands in her lap. I reach over and lace my fingers with hers, hoping to offer some support and make her feel better.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do.

She pulls away and stands abruptly. "I've got to go to the bathroom." She doesn't look at anyone as she walks to the corner of the room where the bathroom is and shuts the door behind her.

"Did I say something wrong?" Emmett looks over at where she disappeared, his brows pushed together with worry.

"No," I say. "It was a long-term relationship, and she didn't see a lot of the things he did were… manipulative and selfish. I think now that she's away from him and her hometown, she's starting to see a lot of the things he's done in a new light."

"She's realizing what a shit relationship it was," Rosalie adds, nodding her head in understanding.

"Maybe." I shrug my shoulders, hoping that is true. "I think a part of it is realizing that she didn't know she wanted something different until she was removed from the situation and started to look back at it from a distance."

The more I talk, the more I realize what I'm saying is probably true.

"I think I'm showing her what a healthy, supportive relationship is supposed to be like." I swallow hard, and it catches in my throat. My voice drops low. "At least I hope I am. Sometimes I think she wants to go back to him. If for nothing else than the security. She knows what she'll get with him - but with me, it's new, and there isn't that knowledge of knowing what will become of us. I can see it scares her, and she holds back with me because of it."

Emmett leans over on the couch, across the vacated space that Bella just left, and places his hand on my shoulder. "I can see you are really scared of her leaving." I look to him and see sympathy in his eyes. That's something rare from him. Usually, it's all fun and games and laughter. "But you can't live in that fear. You have to push it away, or else it will eat at you and affect your relationship. All you can do is keep doing what you have been doing. Be the perfect boyfriend and show her how she is supposed to be treated."

"I had no clue a wise old man was stuck inside my brother." I joke with him, hoping to lighten the mood before Bella gets back. I can hear water running in the bathroom sink.

He shrugs. "Hey. Being married gave me a whole new perspective on what is really, truly important."

Rosalie beams from his other side as she looks at him.

As much of a bitch as she can be, I can see she truly loves him.

"He also reads a lot of self-help books," Rosalie says with a smirk. His head moves like lightning to look at her.

"Rose." He says through his teeth. "Why'd you tell him that?"

She just giggles. "Because, if they helped you get in touch with your inner feelings, maybe they can help him with his fears and lack of confidence."

"Rose." He groans. "Now he's going to make fun of me."

I choke down the laugh that wants to break out and mush my lips tightly together so I won't smile. "No, I won't, little brother." I reach over and ruffle his hair. " _But_ …does this mean that you watch those sappy Hallmark movies now? You know, since you're now in touch with your _feelings_."

He leans over scowling and takes a swipe at me. I duck out of the way just in time. I laugh. "Jeez, why are you PMS-ing so much?"

Emmett looks back to Rose and gestures wildly at me over his shoulder. "You see!"

Again, I laugh. "Okay. I'll stop. I just had to get that out of my system." He looks back at me, and I make a scene of zipping my lips and throwing away the key.

"You'd better." He grumps, giving me the evil eye.

Bella opens the door of the bathroom then, and I smile at her. I can't help it.

Thankfully, Rose continues the conversation, keeping it playful and light. "What you should really make fun of him for is his love of Nicholas Sp…."

Emmett claps a hand over her mouth. "Jeez, woman. What are you doing to me?"

Behind his hand, her eyes squint from laughing so hard.

"Did someone just say Nicholas Sparks?" Bella asks. She's smiling fondly at the couple as she walks over to us.

"No!" Emmett almost shouts.

When she returns to her spot next to me, it's her who takes me hand this time. "I'm pretty sure I heard someone say Nicholas Sparks."

"I'm pretty sure I heard that too," I say.

"Why don't we go for a swim?" Emmett suggests, jumping up quickly and hurrying off to the stairs. "It's such a warm day outside. You don't mind me borrowing a bathing suit, do you?" he asks looking at me. I can see the desperation in his eyes to get out of this conversation and do something that Bella won't beat him at. Since he was an All-American swimmer in college, he's definitely going to be faster than her in water.

"I don't have one here," Rose says.

"I've got one you can borrow," Bella replies.

I grin like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. "President Nixon gets to come out and play."

Bella's eyes widen as she looks back at me. I lean in and whisper in her ear. "I haven't forgotten about your birthmark. I can't wait to see it." I lean back and wiggle my brows at her before hopping up and following Emmett, leaving her with a beautiful blush coloring her cheeks.

* * *

"Yes." I hiss. The hot water beats down on me and trickles down my spine as I imagine the rolling drops of water are Bella's fingertips trailing down my skin.

My hips thrust forward of their own accord, my fist tightening around my shaft as my pleasure builds.

Standing before me, Bella is naked. The little scrap of material she called a bikini left little to my imagination, and I fill in the holes with what I believe is under that thin fabric.

She's sighing, her eyes closed, as she rubs herself while I pump my cock. "Edward." She moans, throwing her head back. Her mahogany hair falls down her back as her perky breasts skim lightly across my chest.

I groan. My peak is building fast as I imagine her, biting her lip to stop from screaming as she orgasms, her body shuddering with pleasure just as mine does. My breathing hitches as I unload against my shower wall for the millionth time this week. When I open my eyes, there are little bright dots swirling in my vision. My orgasm was a good one, but I know it would be nothing compared to having the real Bella in front of me.

I sigh and take a deep breath, pushing off the shower wall where I was leaning. I turn off the water and step out of the stall, wiping down with a towel. Ten minutes later, I'm walking out of my room. I easily find Bella in my library. Her hair is wet and braided to the side and her face is fresh and makeup free.

 _My God, she's so beautiful._

When I enter the room, she looks up at me and smiles from where she is curled up on the window seat with a book. The radiant look she gives me tells me everything I need to know, reaffirming my assumptions.

 _She's definitely falling in love with me._

"You better?" I ask.

"I told you I'm fine." She says with a hint of exasperation and a small smile.

The way Emmett threw her into the pool earlier flashes in my mind. I was so angry when he caught her off guard, shoving her in. She came up choking on the pool water.

"I was thinking about just ordering in tonight. Maybe some Chinese?"

"Mmmm. That sounds good." She says.

"And what will Nixon be having?" I ask. She squints her eyes at me and then swiftly throws one of the tiny pillows that sit in the window seat at my head. I allow it to hit me in the face.

" _I_ will have the Chicken Chow Mein and two spring rolls."

"Okay. I'll order it in about thirty minutes." I tell her, moving to the stuffed chair in the corner of the room. I gather my book from the little table next to it and pick up where I left off in the chapter. Unfortunately, it's the same place I've been holding for the past two days. When she's in here with me, I can't help but just stare at her over the top of my book like some freak. It's as if I need to memorize every little thing about her, so when she leaves – my heart clenches – I will have a perfect recollection of her every feature.

My fingers holding the book twitch. The melody that has been refining itself in my head for the past few weeks starts to play and the urge to run to my piano pulses in my veins. I set the book down and clench my fists on top of my thighs. I haven't let anyone hear me play since Maggie died. It's sort of been my way of spending time with my little sister, just us, and I haven't wanted anyone to hear me play until Bella came into my life.

 _That scares me shitless. This urge to share everything with her is terrifying, and yet, absolutely wonderful at the same time._

My eyes shut tightly, and I pick up the book and try once again to read. As much as I want to play right now, I need to refine the song in my head before she can hear it. And she _will_ hear it. I know it will be terrifying for me, laying myself out there, being so vulnerable for her to see, but I still _want to do it_. It's the strangest feeling. Wanting something so bad but being absolutely terrified of it. I know that when I do play for her, it will make it _so much harder_ when she leaves. But I know that if I don't do it, I'll regret it forever.

"You okay, Edward?"

Her soft, concerned voice breaks my inner turmoil.

"You look…upset."

I take a cleansing breath. "No, I'm fine. Just…a sad part of the book."

It's clear she doesn't believe me, but she nods, letting it go and returning to her book. It's quiet for a few minutes before she speaks again. "Do you want to go downstairs and watch a movie?"

When I don't answer right away, taken back by her suggestion, she turns sheepish. "I mean, I figured that since your book…"

I interrupt her. "I'd love to. I think that's a great idea."

She smiles beautifully and rises from her seat. "You'd better order the food. It'll probably get here when we finally decide on a movie."

"You think it'll take twenty minutes to decide on what to watch?" I ask.

"That's how long it takes Jake and me."

My mood sours immediately. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not Jake. I'm pretty flexible when it comes to movies."

"Even rom-coms?" she asks dubiously.

"I love chick flicks. One of my favorite movies is Steel Magnolias." I state proudly.

A huge, face crinkling grin pulls up her lips. "It's one of my favorites too." She says. "I can't believe it's also one of yours. I've never known a guy to admit he even remotely likes that one. Jake can't stand it."

"In that case, why don't we watch it? A big F-U to all the haters."

"Just bring the tissues. I can never make it through Shelby's funeral without bawling my eyes out."

She hops away and scurries down the stairs across the hall, bouncing with excitement.

This, this right here, Bella smiling and running around my house in socks and PJs, is what I want. I've never been happier, even if our relationship is all for show. I'll never regret this time with her even if the pain of her leaving scars me for the rest of my life.

Loving her will never be something I'll regret.

"You coming?" Bella yells from downstairs.

I grin. "I'll be there in a sec. I'm ordering dinner."

"Okay! Hurry! I've got everything ready to go."

"Well, aren't you eager?" I chuckle.

"It's _Steel Magnolias!_ Of course, I'm eager."

I can't wipe the smile off my face as I dial the takeout place and order our food.

 _God, I love her._

* * *

 _We finally heard from Edward! What did you think of it? He's so head over heels for her._

 _Sorry it took so long for this chapter. In the past two weeks, I've had to celebrate three birthdays (one being mine), banged out all my Christmas shopping, and battled my three kids, trying to not get the cold they were passing around. I think now that I have all but one person taken care of for Christmas, I should go back to how I was updating. Hopefully..._

 _As always, thanks so much for reading and don't' forget to follow and review! Y'alls reviews mean so much to me!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Thanks to **SunflowerFran** for being my beta. If there are any mistakes left, they are my own. _

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

* * *

"We're almost there!" Edward shouts over his shoulder. The excitement in his voice is contagious, and I pick up my pace.

"Slow down!" I call at him with a smile. "Not everyone has legs the same length as giraffes!" I place my hand on a fallen tree and hop over it. The hiking pack on my back jostles lightly between my shoulder blades. "You also leap like a gazelle over trees that come up to my waist!"

He laughs and is back at my side in just a few seconds. "Sorry I left you. I'm just so excited for you to see this place. It's so close."

"I can see the light up ahead."

"Then let's hurry!" He bounces up and down like a kid, and I giggle at him.

"Alright," I look at the path before us. "I'm going to regret saying this, but, after we pass that big bush up ahead, we race to the opening."

"You're right. You are going to regret it."

"Winner gets the last bit of the ice cream in the freezer."

"Deal." He gives me a mischievous grin as we get to the bush. "On your mark, get set…."

I take off in a dead sprint.

"Cheater!" he yells from a little behind me, and I laugh wildly. When I hear his footstep quickly getting closer, I unsnap the buckle on my chest and let the pack on my back fall to the ground. This allows me to really take off. I hear Edward swear with amusement.

I just barely break through the trees before him.

"You. Are. Such. A. Cheater!" He huffs out in stunted breaths.

I spin around and throw my hands up in victory. "And you sound like a sore loser," I laugh.

His eyes darken as he looks at me. "Maybe. But I also think you'll forget about the last of the ice cream if you turn around."

I drop my arms back to my side and do as he says ... and I gasp. The sight before me is breathtaking. No, really. It literally takes my breath away.

All around us are thousands of wildflowers. Every color in the rainbow is represented in the petals that make up the most intoxicating blanket underneath our feet.

But my eyes don't stay looking down for long. The semi-circular field ends in a drop-off, and I see that we are on some sort of plateau. I actually feel pretty stupid for thinking the view from his home is the most beautiful vista I'd ever seen after finding this. I can see the Olympic Mountain range in the distance and a river cutting through the forest below. The snowcapped mountains paint the most perfect picture atop the millions of multifaceted green trees.

"I almost built my home here." Edward's soft voice pulls me back to reality, but I still can't tear my eyes away from the view to look at him. "But, after thinking about it for a long time, I didn't want to ruin this perfectly wild and beautiful place. I felt that if I put my house here, I would somehow be desecrating this little slice of heaven."

"You were right to build it somewhere else," I say quietly. "It would be such a shame if this field and cliff were disturbed by humans."

"I come here a lot." He says. I look over at him. His eyes are sweeping the forest below us at the bottom of the steep drop-off. "It's very peaceful; my second favorite place on Earth."

"If this is second place, what's first?" I ask. I can't imagine anywhere more beautiful.

He turns then, his green eyes twinkling at me for a moment. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

I let out a snort and roll my eyes. "Okay, 007. I didn't know we were treading the waters of government secrets out here in the wilderness." I look around back at the tree line for a minute. "Did you ever think of putting a small cabin just inside the forest?" I ask, quickly changing pace. "I don't think it would be too intrusive. If you put it a couple of hundred yards into the trees, it would preserve the unique beauty of this field and view. You could come and stay out here on the weekends or something. Waking up, you could drink your coffee while admiring the view. You could even drag a chair out here to the field and spend the day reading a book while looking at this."

He looks absolutely stunned. "I can't believe I never thought about that." He says. "That's a sensational idea, Bella. Truly." He spins around and starts marching back to the trees with me following. "I could put some solar panels a long way away so I wouldn't mess this up," he gestures around, indicating the field and view, "and run a line to the cabin so it could have power. We could catch the rainwater to use instead of running a water line out this far. It'd be a small place. Cozy. Warm. Simple. It would definitely have a fireplace. Construction would be small and non-invasive."

My heart pounds in my chest when I see his happiness. His vision sounds like my idea of perfection. He looks so happy and so unbelievably excited. "So, you like the idea?" I ask.

He twists around so hurriedly and lunges for me so fast that I only catch a small glimpse of the eye crinkling grin on his face. His arms wrap around my waist, and he lifts me up, spinning me. I laugh and wrap my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life.

"I love…it." He says, pausing. "I love the idea so much."

I can feel when his mind catches up with his actions. His whole body tenses and he immediately sets me down. When he removes his arms and hands from me, my heart drops with disappointment.

 _Hmm. I wonder why that is?_

"I'm so sorry, Bella." He says sheepishly, his face turning a bright red, his head dipping and his eyes boring a hole into the ground. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay, Edward." I step closer and lightly place my hand on his chest. I wait until he looks up from the ground and into my eyes. "I'm not mad." _Not even the slightest bit. Quite the opposite, actually._ "You look like you've just accidentally killed your own puppy."

"But I broke the contract. You could leave. It's null and void." He looks sick when those words leave his lips.

I roll my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," I tell him. "You were just excited." I let my hand fall after it starts to burn, leaving a fire in my palm. "I think we need to revise the contract again. How about you can touch me the way a friend would touch a friend. Hugs, dancing, secret handshakes…" Some of the darkness leaves his eyes then, and I smile. "If I feel uncomfortable or don't like whatever you are doing, I will tell you. If you do it again, _then_ the contract will be null and void."

I watch as Edward takes a deep breath, letting most of the tension leave his body. I reach out my hand and hold it in front of me. "It's only official if we shake on it." My mouth quirks up into a small grin.

 _Finally_ , he smiles at me, takes my hand, and gives it a vigorous shake. The rest of the tension leaves his body, and suddenly, I can feel happiness again. It was touch and go there while he was so upset, but now that the smile is back on his face, I know I can relax and again take a deep breath.

He uses my hand in his to pull me against him, hugging me tightly to his chest. I slowly wrap my arms around his waist and close my eyes as I rest my head against him. "Thank you. I love your idea. I can't wait to start building."

I feel him rest his cheek against the top of my head and I squeeze him tighter. "I'm glad you like it. You'll have to bring me back once it's done though. I'd like to see how my idea turns out."

His hold on me loosens, and we slowly pull apart. For some reason, I can't seem to be able to look up at him and meet his eyes. Instead, I force myself to spin around. "The view really is insanely beautiful from here."

"Yes, it is," Edward says his voice deep and thick. It catches when he speaks again, still behind me. "It's the most beautiful view I've ever seen."

My body betrays me. I feel blood rise to my cheeks while a smile fights to break free.

* * *

Rolling over in my bed, I reach for my phone. I light up the screen and see that it's late. Almost 9:30 in the morning. I guess I didn't realize just how tired I was after the hike yesterday. Edward got a work call and disappeared into his home office looking seriously annoyed when we walked back into the house.

Sensing that my muscles would be sore from our hike, I got into my bathing suit and into the hot tub. I spent a blissful thirty minutes there before coming back up and crashing the moment I took my suit off and threw on my pajamas.

I close my eyes and set my phone down on my chest as I try to wake up the rest of the way. I start to drift off again when my phone vibrates insistently atop the sheets. I huff and look at the screen. My heart feels heavy in my chest when I see it's Alice calling.

"Hello?" I answer it.

"It's so nice of you to answer." Her tone is curt, and I sigh.

I haven't exactly been keeping in contact with her the way I always have. In fact, I've been ignoring the texts she's been sending me and purposely leaving my phone here at the house when I go anywhere with Edward.

"I know," I say. "I've been the world's shittiest friend."

She huffs in agreement. "I'll say. A friend would have told me if she had started dating Edward _fucking_ Cullen since moving to Seattle! What the actual fuck, Bella? Did you and Jake break up and you just _forgot_ to tell me?"

"What are you talking about Alice?" I squeak out after the shock of her statement wears off. I push myself up into a sitting position, suddenly feeling wide awake.

"I'm talking about the damn gossip rags. There are pictures of you and Edward Cullen holding hands and smiling. The article talks about Edward's 'new mystery girlfriend' he's taking everywhere."

"It's not…"

"I dug deeper and found out you've been to two charity events with him and sources have said that he was telling everyone you're his girlfriend. Not to mention the restaurant you were rumored to have gone to together. And don't even get me started on the picture of you parading around town in his car and the dresses you're wearing. Where did you get the money for them?"

"Breathe, Alice," I tell her. "You've just asked me a million questions and didn't give me a chance to answer even one of them." I can hear a dissatisfied "Hmphh." leave her and know I have a lot of ground to cover. She's going to be mad at me no matter what I say.

"Okay. The first thing I'd like to address is Jake. No, we haven't broken up, but, we are kind of taking a break while I'm here. The fight we had before I left was huge, and neither of us was willing to budge on the issue. So, we are just … taking time for ourselves for the month." The lie comes out smoothly, and I almost convince myself of it.

"What? That's huge, Bella. Why wouldn't you tell me that?" I can hear the hurt in her voice.

I sigh heavily. "Because I really didn't want to talk about it. I can't even tell you what it was about because it is a very private issue."

"You know you can tell me anything."

"Not this, I can't." I let her digest this information before starting again. "The second thing is, I'm not Edward Cullen's girlfriend." The truth leaving my mouth after all this time saying otherwise is weird. "We met in the office, of course, since I'm interning there. We got to talking, and we clicked. He's a really great guy that I'm proud to call my friend."

 _Ugh. I hate all this deception._

"He asked me to go with him to his charity events because his mother was trying to get him back together with his ex, who he didn't want to have anything to do with, and I said I'd go." I put the phone on speaker and quickly type in Edward's name. The first thing that pops up are pictures of us running out of the last charity event, repeated in a dozen angles, hand in hand, with huge beaming smiles on our faces.

 _We look so happy._

"He was holding my hand so he could pull me through the throng of photographers. We were laughing really hard because one reporter had asked me if I was a gay man pretending to be a girl because Edward was really gay and he wanted to stay in the closet." My neck begins to hurt from the tension I'm starting to feel, and I bring my hand up to rub it. "Don't you know you can't believe everything you read on the internet?"

"Come on, Bella. Do you really expect me to believe that?" she says disbelievingly.

"Yes, I do," I say. "I do because it is the truth. I am not Edward Cullen's girlfriend."

"And what about you driving his car and the dresses?"

"I was driving his Volvo because my truck crapped out on me. When I mentioned it to Edward, he insisted I take one of his five-thousand cars to drive while the truck was being fixed."

 _It is going to be really hard keeping track of all these lies._

"And the dresses, yes, he bought them for me. I told him I didn't have anything to wear to the events he invited me to and said he had a designer friend and she would give me a couple to wear. It's not a big deal."

"Bullshit. It's a huge deal, Bella." She says. "I just … I can't believe you haven't told me any of this." Guilt almost consumes me whole when I hear the hurt in her voice. "I thought we were best friends who told each other everything."

"We are," I say adamantly. "But the thing with Edward … he's famous, and I had to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement). I can't really say much about Edward except that he is a really great guy and my friend. And Alice, you tend to ask _a lot_ of questions. I can't give you the answers to most of them. It's part of the reason I haven't talked to you."

I sigh heavily and fall back to the bed, feeling exhausted. "You have every right to be upset with me because of that. And I'm truly sorry. I should have told you about Edward."

"What you really should have told me about is Jake," Alice says, some of the hurt in her voice gone. Not all of it, but some. "I can't believe you had a fight that was so bad you had to take a break. Does that mean you can both see other people?"

"No!" I almost shout into the phone. "It's not that kind of break. It's a 'we both need time to cool down' kind of a break. We are both very much still engaged to one another, but since I'm here, we figured it'd be best to just … I don't know. It's … easier to see things clearer when we're not fighting about stupid everyday stuff, especially over the phone, and just be two separate people."

It's quiet for a long moment, and I start to wonder if she hung up. "Alice?"

"I'm still here." She says. "It must have been a pretty serious fight then."

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?" she asks.

I feel an uncomfortable pang in my chest as uncertainty creeps up into my heart. "I'm not sure what I'm feeling." My voice is soft and quiet. "But, for the most part, I'm okay. Having Edward as a friend helps a lot."

"Does he know you're engaged to Jake?"

"He does. He knows all about him."

"Is Jake okay with you being friends with him?" she asks.

A small flash of anger rises in my chest for a brief moment. "Does it really matter what Jake thinks? I can be friends with whomever I want."

"Yes, you most certainly can." She sounds like she's embarrassed she even asked that question. "What did he say when he saw the pictures of you and Edward together?"

"I haven't talked to him since I left, Alice. He doesn't even read those gossip rags anyway. And if he did see them, he should know me well enough to know I would never cheat on him. If he doesn't, then we are in deeper trouble than I thought because that would mean he didn't trust me."

"What you are saying makes sense, Bella, but looking at these pictures, I can see in Edward's eyes, clear as day, that he _likes_ you. More than just a friend."

A lump forms in my throat, and my pulse begins to pound loudly in my ears. "Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it's a moot point because I'm engaged to Jake and he knows that."

"You're playing with fire, Bella," Alice warns. "I have a feeling about this."

" _You and the feelings you get."_ I groan. "I swear, you should open up your own shop with palm readings, tarot cards, and psychic predictions."

"You know I'm never wrong about my feelings." Alice quips defensively.

"But you're not always one-hundred percent right either," I add with a huff. "I'll deal with Jake when I get back, but for now, I need to concentrate on my internship. I can't afford to have any distractions."

"Jake is a distraction?"

"Ugh. This is not coming out right," I growl. I am so frustrated. "Alice, I don't know … I don't know what to feel or do or even think right now. Everything has changed so much for me these past few weeks. Moving to Seattle, Jake and I not talking …" I trail off, not knowing what to say next. "I'm so _confused_."

That was an understatement. I was way more than confused. I was mad at myself, mad at Jake, and mad that I was lying to Alice.

After looking back and thinking it over, I realized I am really mad at Jake for pressuring me to take this deal. I should have fought harder to get him to only take the $475,000 and be done with it. He was completely blinded by the money, and I was too eager just to make him happy. That is why I'm mad at myself. I can see now that I let him roll right over me with his desire for more money. I didn't stand up for what I wanted, and how I envisioned us getting our big break.

But then, if I hadn't taken the deal, I wouldn't have gotten to know Edward like I do. When I think about that possibility, it feels as if a deep pit has opened up in my stomach. My heart clenches tightly, my lungs feel too stiff to move with my breaths, and my vision goes dark around the edges. He has become such an important part of my life; my new best friend. I can't imagine not having him around. It hurts way too much.

This is another reason I'm mad at myself. I shouldn't feel that way towards Edward. He's just a friend. I don't feel that way towards Alice. I can go for a long period of time without seeing her and be fine, but the moment I think of not seeing Edward….

And to top it all off, I don't think about Jake nearly enough as someone who is engaged to him should. I miss him, I really do, but since I've been here, the biggest emotion I've felt towards him is resentment. If someone had suggested to Edward's fiancée – if he had one - what he did to Jake about me being here, he would have punched his lights out. Instead, all Jake did was encourage me to take the deal.

"Actually, confused is an understatement," I say into my phone, coming back from my mental rant. "There are so many things I can't tell you, and it drives me insane because I can't get an opinion on my thoughts or advice on what to do."

"Maybe that's a good thing, Bella." She says. "I think whatever is going on, you need to figure out what you, Bella Swan, - not Jake and Bella – want, and then go from there. If these problems you are having with Jake are so private that you can't even tell me, then that should tell you everything you need to know." I hear her sigh heavily. "You are your own person, and honestly Bella, you need to think for yourself for once. You've always relied way too much on what Jake thought and went from there."

"But that's what you do in a relationship. You talk and compromise, get the other's opinion of life issues and things like that."

"That's true, but you also started dating him when you were seventeen, sweetie. You've never made a move or done _anything_ without consulting what Jake wanted _first_. I think now would be a good time to really try and figure out what _you_ really and truly want. That's not selfish, Bella. Figuring out what you want and what will make _you_ happy is what everyone is supposed to do."

I close my eyes and throw my arm over my face. I can feel a few tears squeezing from my eyes. "Alice, I love Jake. I want him to be happy."

"Do you want him to be happy so much that you forsake your own heart's desires?" she asks, sounding a thousand years old. "That's not healthy. Jake and the life you've planned should be _your_ heart's desire. Whether it is or not is what you need to figure out. I can't help you with that. Dig deep, find out what kind of path you want to take in life and what kind of relationship you want, and then go from there. You need to be your own whole person, complete with your own thoughts and desires before you can truly be happy in a relationship. That's the only way you'll know for sure that the other person truly loves the _real you_ , wholly and completely, and not only the version of yourself you are when you are with them. You need to do things because they are what _you_ want to do and learn not to do things you don't really want to simply because you know it'd make them happy."

"Is that what you did with Jasper?" I ask. "Did you do what you are asking me to do when you met him?"

"I most certainly did." She states. "He knows who I am without being with him - one half of a couple - and he loves me for it. I made sure of that."

"If you felt that way about mine and Jake's relationship, why haven't you already told me?" I'm surprised when that question comes out calmly. I want to be mad at her for saying that, for suggesting I've never been my own person separate from Jake, but weirdly, I'm not.

"Because you weren't ready to hear it. You would have gotten mad and defensive and told me to mind my own business."

I imagine her telling me this a month ago and cringe. "Yeah. You're probably right."

"Just promise me you'll take my advice. Use this time and this break away from Jake and really find yourself; discover what you want."

I swallow and then take a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. "I promise, Alice."

"I've got to go now, Bella. I can see my boss glaring at me. I was only supposed to take a ten-minute break, and I'm on minute twenty-two now."

"Okay. I'm really sorry about avoiding your calls and stuff."

"So you _were_ avoiding me!"

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I love you, Alice. I'll talk to you later?"

"Only if you answer your phone." I chuckle a little. "Love you too. Bye."

I hang up the phone and put it back on my nightstand. When I move to roll over, wanting to curl up in bed and hide away in the sheets all day, I hear a knock at my door. "Edward?" I ask.

"Are you up?" he asks through the door. "I heard you talking and figured you were."

"I am. Just give me a sec." I stand and take a few cleansing breaths, trying to rid myself of the heavy conversation I just had with Alice before answering the door. When I open it after running my fingers through my hair, I find a smiling Edward looking down at me.

I can't help but smile back.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." He says.

"Your smile says otherwise." I tease, watching as it gets even bigger.

"That's because I have something for you. I pulled a few strings and …." I hear a rumpling of paper in his hands and look down as he holds a sealed envelope for me to take. There is a big "EXPRESS" stamp in red ink on it.

"What's this?" I ask, grinning at the proud look that is now on his face.

"Open it and find out."

* * *

 _I think it's pretty obvious what is in the envelope, but then again, I am the author. Lol. Tell me what your ideas are. Also, I really hope that everyone had a great Christmas and I hope that the new year will be even better than the last!_

 _Thanks a million for reading and don't forget to **follow** and **review!** _


	15. Chapter 15

_Thanks to my beta, **SunflowerFran**. She is great; putting up with my redundancies and tediously correcting them. ;)_

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

* * *

I reach out and grab the envelope, sliding my finger under the sealed flap on the back. My mind races on what this could be and just before I pull the piece of paper out, it hits me. Even though I didn't expect to get my bar results until next month, I'm pretty sure that is what this is.

As I pull out the paper and unfold it, my nerves spike. After reading the heading of UBE of Washington, I know I'm right, and I begin to read it aloud.

"Dear Miss. Isabella Marie Swan, the State of Washington is glad to inform you that you have successfully passed the UBE Exam with a score of 380 out of a possible 400." I have to stop there because I begin to scream with joy. I look up at Edward and see his smile, which, if possible, is bigger than mine.

I jump up and down with happiness and then throw my arms around Edward's neck. "OH MY GOD! I passed!" I scream into his ear, surprised when he doesn't flinch away from the loudness.

His arms tighten around me for a moment before he sets me down, placing his hands on my waist. "I never doubted you. And not to mention the near perfect score! That's beyond impressive, Bella. Congratulations."

I squeal for joy and bounce on the balls of my feet for a second before again hugging Edward. I breathe him in and feel pure exaltation for a few blissful moments before I let him go. I need to scream again, and I don't want to do it in his ear.

"Ahhh!" I yell, waving the piece of paper that holds my results above my head like a banner. I'm even tempted for a moment to tattoo the score somewhere on my body before sanity takes hold of me.

Edward chuckles at me as I squeal and prance. "We have to celebrate." He says when I'm done spinning in circles a few times. "What do you want to do? Name anything. The whole world is at your disposal."

When he says that, I can see how much he means it. If I said I wanted to go to Greece to celebrate, he'd take me with no hesitation.

"Oh gosh, I don't know," I say, trying to stop smiling. My cheeks are really starting to hurt. I rack my brain for a moment for something; anything. "I want to do something lawyer-ee," I tell him.

When he furrows his brows at the word I used, I giggle. "I want to do something that only a lawyer can do."

He grins big, holding his hand out for me. "I think I can handle that." I take his hand, and he jogs through the house, leading me to his office. He drops my hand and moves behind his desk, scanning the top for a moment and then pulls out a stack of papers. "Here."

He hands them to me and explains. "I just bought a facility in Denver to start manufacturing mini breathalyzers, and I need a lawyer to draw up a contract with this robotics company that agreed to give me a steep discount because it is through my charity. Those are the agreed-upon prices and specifics for set-up and maintenance for the first year of operation."

"Say no more." I grin up at him. "May I?" I ask, gesturing to his computer.

"Of course." He says with a grin.

I give him a radiant smile back and then sit, pulling up the program needed to write a contract. Edward moves off to the other side of his office and sits in a chair as he watches me while I work.

It takes me an hour to write it up, re-reading the agreement and making sure everything is correct. When I go to put in my credentials, I realize I don't even know my license number. It should be on the piece of paper that contained my results. "Oh. Where's the paper. I forgot to look at my license number." I say to Edward who is still smiling softly at me.

"There." He stands and points to the edge of his desk. "You dropped it when I brought you in here. I went back and picked it up for you."

 _Hmm. I didn't notice him leave the room. I must have really been in the zone._

"Thanks." I smile, reaching for the paper. I find my number and type it in, feeling like a million bucks when I'm done, saving the document. "Done!" I say with a huge smile on my lips. "I did something lawyer-ee!"

He lets out a huge laugh. "Yes. You did something lawyer-ee." He says when he's done. "Now what do you want to do?"

"I want to tell my dad," I say.

"Done. I'll go get your phone." He says, hopping up and sprinting from the room.

 _He's going to be so happy and proud of me when I tell him._

I'm shocked when Edward reappears after being gone for ten seconds with windswept hair and a beautiful smile on his face. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Edward," I say, grabbing the phone and quickly dialing the station. Phyllis, the receptionist, patches me through to Dad as he's doing his patrols.

"Hey there, city slicker." He says. I can tell he's smiling. "I thought you'd forgotten about me since I hadn't heard from you in almost two weeks."

"I know," I say. "Sorry I haven't called more."

"That's all right, Bella. I'm just picking on you." He chuckles.

"Dad. I got my bar results." I say, not able to hold back my news anymore.

"What? I thought it'd be over a month before you got them."

I ignore his query and blurt out, "I passed! I got a 380!" Then I let out the girliest sounding squeal of excitement, and I can barely hear his hearty congratulations and praise over it.

"I'm so damn proud of you, baby girl! How'd you get so damn smart, though? Heaven knows I'm no Einstein and your mother is no Stephen Hawking either."

I roll my eyes and look over at Edward. He's _still_ smiling as he looks at me. "I guess the both of you saved all of your smarts for me." We both laugh for a moment before I hear a call come in on his radio. "I heard that. I'll let you go."

"Okay. Congratulations, Bella. Again, I'm so proud of you. I never doubted you could do it for a minute."

My heart warms in my chest. "I know. I love you."

"Love you too, baby girl." He chokes up a little and then clears his throat. "Call me later."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

He hangs up, and I jump up, wiggling with excitement one more time. I can hear Edward chuckle lightly from across the room. I look over at him and smile. "What's so funny?" I say, narrowing my eyes at him and smiling.

"It makes me ecstatic to see you so happy."

I shake my head at him. "What am I going to do with you?" I ask.

His green eyes turn wistful and thoughtful for a moment before he speaks. "Whatever you want. It's your day. You tell me what you want."

"Can I have a few minutes to think it over?" I ask, not wanting to rush my choice.

While I was writing up that contract, I couldn't stop smiling. The thought that I was putting my law degree to use for a charity was so incredibly fulfilling. Even if I was writing up a contract for manufacturing, I was making a difference.

I look at Edward's expectant face and bite my lip, not sure of what his response will be. "Please, don't feel like you have to say yes when I ask you this," I tell him, holding up my hands. "Know that I will one hundred percent understand if you say no."

Edward's smile falters a little but doesn't disappear. When he nods, I continue.

I move around his desk and come to stop in front of him when he stands from the chair in the corner. "Well, when I was writing up that contract," I gesture to the computer over my shoulder, "I couldn't help but think that I was helping. Maybe not in the sense where I was actively handing out flyers and making speeches for Maggie's charity, but I was helping in a way that allowed you to move forward faster with your plans. Helping you to get the message out quicker."

I swallow past the nerves building in my throat. I have no idea what he is going to say. "I know I just passed the bar and I have _no_ experience, but," I pause and look deeper into Edward's encouraging eyes, "I was hoping you would have a place for me in your charity for a little bit. I would work for free, of course, gaining experience, but also making a difference. You don't have to say yes - please know that - but I really want to help in any way I can."

When a look of awe pools in his eyes, I stop speaking. His hands come up and rest gently on the tops of my arms. He shakes his head gently from side to side for a second before he speaks. "Bella, you are so incredible." He swallows roughly and shakes his head again. My heart beats uncomfortably hard in my chest as he gazes into my eyes. "I'm offering you anything you want, anything you want to do, and you ask if you can help out by working _for free_ in Maggie's charity?"

"Well … yeah," I say, almost whispering. I don't want to speak too loud for some unexplainable reason. "You don't have to say yes. I know I have no…"

"Shhhh." He says, closing his eyes. When I stop speaking, he opens his eyes again. "You incredible, wonderful, smart, beautiful human being are more than welcome to do anything you like in Maggie's charity. I have full confidence in you as a lawyer and know just what you can do with your new license number."

A huge smile overtakes my face. I once again jump into Edward's arms and hug him to me tightly. He buries his face into my shoulder and pulls me tight to his hard chest.

 _It feels so good when he holds me back._

When the length of our hug begins to make my heart do flips – for whatever reason, I don't know – I pull back and shove down that feeling as hard as I can. "Thank you so much for the opportunity, Edward. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," he says, bending down and kissing me so sweetly on my cheek. I look at my feet in hopes of hiding the blush on my face from him.

* * *

The next few days pass in a whirlwind. Edward and I have been riding to his office together in the mornings. He set me up with the head of his charity operations, and he put me to work drawing up contracts and negotiating terms for agreements. We've had lunch together every day and even had little breaks in his office.

I absolutely love the work I've been doing, and his team of people are great. I really feel as if I'm making a difference, even with the small amount of work I've been doing. Maggie's Purpose is an incredible charity, and I'm so proud to be able to be a part of it. When the thought crossed my mind earlier that I would have to leave soon and stop working with the charity, I felt so unbelievably sad.

 _Maybe I can work out a deal where I can keep doing work for it…somehow…from_ Forks _…while setting up the garage._

It would be hard, but I could do both. At least I could try my best to do both.

I wipe the sweat from my brow as I hop off the treadmill and gulp down half a bottle of water. I inconspicuously peek over to my left through the wall of mirrors in front of me at Edward lifting weights. The wife beater he's wearing is stuck to him with his sweat, and his muscles are flexing beautifully, straining his smooth, lightly tanned skin taut over the swell of his biceps.

I involuntarily clench my thighs together as I feel my center throb.

He glances over when he sets down his weights, giving me a sly smirk when he catches me staring at him with my mouth hanging open.

I suddenly can't get out of this steamy room fast enough. "I'm…uh…I'm going to go bathe… take a shower and get ready. You said 9:30…no 10:30, right?"

I look down at my feet and curse myself for stumbling over my words.

I can hear him let out an almost indiscernible breathy laugh. "Yes. 10:30."

"Okay. See you then." I say, bolting up the steps two at a time. Once I'm on the main floor, I take a deep, cleansing breath.

"Why does he have to be so damn _hot_?!" I whisper growl, talking to myself.

I continue to my room, going to the ensuite and turning on the shower. I strip down while the water warms up, my core still throbbing rather painfully from watching Edward downstairs.

I immediately turn my thoughts toward Jacob. I should be thinking about him; wanting him. I've never cheated on Jacob, not even in my own head. I push him to the front of my imagination because I am in desperate need of a release.

Slipping my hand down my naked body, my middle finger slides over my folds and finds my little nub. Relief runs through me.

 _Yes!_ My body sings as I touch myself. I've had no action down there in three weeks, and I'm long overdue for an orgasm. I move to the shower and step inside, letting the water roll down my back as I use some to help my finger move over the little bundle of nerves.

Jacob runs his big hand down to my core, pushing mine away, and I groan…in disappointment. I furrow my brows as the pleasure and excitement I was expected to accompany thoughts of Jacob touching me don't materialize. In fact, it sort of turns me off.

I shake my head at myself and try again.

Jacob is kissing his way down my stomach, his tongue darting out as he gets to the apex of my legs. I block out the sight of his head and focus solely on his tongue, swirling around my nub. My finger moves faster, my eyes clenching shut in concentration. But, no matter how hard I try to imagine just Jacob's tongue and not his face between my legs, my mind won't let me. A few minutes pass, and I'm still no better off. More frustrated? Yes. Closer to orgasm? Unfortunately, no.

I am about to give up when I finally let Edward lose from his cage, bursting to the forefront of my imagination. I've held him off with ferocious stubbornness, trying to force an orgasm out of my thoughts of Jake.

The second I picture his face between my thighs, a bone-deep shudder of pleasure runs through my body. My clit throbs as Edward's bright green eyes meet mine, his tongue working double-time over me. One of his hands slides up my stomach, and he dips one finger into my mouth. I suck on it before he pulls it out, flicking it over my right nipple.

I scream out in pleasure, both in my imagination and in the middle of the shower. _"Bella,"_ he whispers against my core, his breath blowing warm air over me, gooseflesh spreading over my whole body. _"Come for me."_ He whispers again.

My body temperature rises as I feel my peak approaching fast. My fingers move faster as Edward breaks eye contact with me, growling as he licks me with perfect precision. I'm panting now, completely unable to stop my fingers from flicking over myself. My release is so excruciatingly close.

"Edward!" I cry out, wave after wave of pleasure crashing down on me. My legs shake as the power of my orgasm threatens to take away my ability to stand.

When the last wave of pleasure surges through me and I pull my hand away, panting like a ran a marathon, I hear an urgent knocking on the bathroom door.

"Bella! Are you okay?" Edward's voice is filled with concern. "You called for me."

"I did?" I question and immediately slap my hand over my mouth, realizing what I did.

I screamed his name in my imagination _and_ in reality _._

 _Oh. My. God._

"I heard you call for me." He says again. I can tell his mouth is pressed up against the crack in the door in an effort for me to hear him more clearly.

"Oh. I…uh…I thought I saw a…spider."

 _Ugh. Of course, I would stumble over my lie like a five-year-old._

"A really big spider. But I was wrong. It's just a big black button on the floor."

 _A button?! Really, Bella? That's the best you could come up with?_ _I don't have one piece of clothing with black buttons._

"A button? Are you sure?" I can hear the confusion in his voice.

"As sure as the day is long," I reply…like an idiot.

 _What the hell does that even mean?_

"O...kay," he says. When I don't hear anything else from him after a minute or so, I assume he's left and sigh with relief and embarrassment. My head falls to rest on the wall of the shower as my eyes close. As great as that orgasm was, I really shouldn't do that again with Edward in mind. I can already feel the guilt creeping its way in from thinking about him instead of Jacob. Not to mention, I can never stay quiet during sex or any type of sexual contact. I've always been uncontrollably vocal.

Before I can let the guilt consume me, I push off the wall and wash myself. By the time I am out of the shower and dressed for the garden party, I've tightly locked away my self-loathing for what I did, and make an effort to focus on trying to find a way to somehow repent to Jacob.

Looking at the time, I leave my room. Edward is already in the kitchen, leaning on the island with a glass of water and reading something on his phone.

My cheeks immediately flame.

The moment I lay eyes on him, the memory of what I did in the shower, and what I thought about to get me _there_ , plaster itself to the backs of my eyelids. I drop my eyes to my feet and swallow the saliva that has formed in my mouth. I'll have to find a way to do something about the throbbing of my clit soon, or I'll start rubbing my legs together like a damn cricket.

"Hey," Edward says. "You look lovely." His voice is so soft and sincere. That does nothing but make the throbbing worse.

I look up at him and smile, my cheeks still feeling like they are on fire. "Thank you." I eye his light gray tailored suit, my eyes gliding slowly down and then back up his sculpted body, remembering the lean muscles he has underneath.

I mentally slap myself when I groan quietly. Thankfully, it wasn't loud enough for him to hear. "You look great in that color suit. It makes your eyes stand out." I bite my lip when he gives me a crooked smirk, needing to distract myself from the painful pulsing of my core.

"As I've said before, I love that color of blue on you." His voice is gruff and oh-so-manly.

I look down at the blue floral pattern of my dress with its white background and smile back up at him. "I know."

"Come on." He holds his hand out for me and I take it as we walk together to his garage.

When we pull up to a mansion that could be on the cover of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, a valet helps me out of the car, and I can't help but gape at the monstrosity. "Whose home is this?" I ask when Edward reaches me, easily sliding his hand in mine.

"Do you remember that smarmy guy named Aro? You met him at the Musical Children's Charity Ball."

The memory of him and his slicked back greasy hair cause me to furrow my brow. "I remember. He was with that younger woman and another guy."

"Correct." He leans in as we move up the steps of the mansion, whispering in my ear. "That younger woman he was with, Jane, she's his right hand in his company _and_ his mistress."

I purse my lips and nod my head, remembering thinking that there was something between the two of them. "Does his wife know?"

He shakes his head gently. "I can't tell if she's blissfully unaware or if she's just simply complicit. Either way, she's a really great lady. Reminds me of my Aunt Victoria, although she's an eternal bachelorette."

"Why are we here?" I ask with contempt in my voice. I don't hide it very well because Edward laughs a little at me.

"Because he and I do a lot of business together. He's also a silent partner in Maggie's Purpose, supporting a quarter of the operating costs for a healthy tax write off for his companies."

I nod, understanding. I don't like it, but I understand it. Whatever he does with his own personal life, whether I don't like it or even approve of it isn't my business.

Edward leads me straight through the mansion and out onto the back lawn. There are people dripping in money everywhere. Waiters carry trays of champagne and hors-d'oeuvres seamlessly through them while light, classical music is played by a small orchestra in the far-right corner of the lawn. Most people are standing around the dozen gaudy and immense marble sculptures dotted around a large pool, gesturing up at them and nodding with intense expressions on their faces.

"My favorite is the one in the back there." Edward points to a sculpture of a man with rather sizeable manhood. "He says he bought it while on vacation in Italy, but I really think he had it made. You see, the eyes and nose are just like his, along with his hands and hairline. Not to mention the grossly overcompensated state of his nether region is in accordance with the widely-known and accepted Napoleon complex he developed in his thirties."

I glance at Edward to see he is deathly serious. When he raises one eyebrow at me, I crack up. I have to cover my mouth when a few people turn towards us when a guffaw escapes my lips.

He gives me the most brilliant smile before leading me toward a couple of older men, their eyes already on us, looking desperate to speak with Edward.

Once we make a full circle of the crowd, Aro finally comes over with who I am assuming is his wife on his arm. She gives us both a warm smile. "Sorry we're just now saying hello. It seems like we've been just missing one another." She leans in and kisses Edward lightly on his cheek. Her light brown hair has lost most of its luster, and she looks to be around Aro's age of about sixty.

"That's quite all right, Sulpicia." Edward croons back. When he smiles at her, she sighs, and her head cocks to the side a little.

 _She's got a crush on him._

That thought makes me immediately like her for some reason. However, if she were thirty years younger, I might feel differently.

"This is my girlfriend, Bella." With a soft smile, she looks at me and briefly sizes me up before turning back to him. "She's pretty, Edward." When she turns back to me, she gives me a sly smile. "It's nice to meet you, Bella."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"Before you leave today, I must steal you away so you can tell me how you got Edward into your clutches. I've been trying for years, but to no avail." She looks up and winks, causing him to blush lightly.

"That's enough, Sulpicia," Aro says with a huff and a roll of his eyes. "You'd ruin the boy if you ever got your hands on him."

"That's kind of the point, dear husband." She replies before nudging me with her elbow. I can't stop the giggle that rolls out of me.

"Now that your shameless flirting is out of the way, I need to steal Edward for a moment. The Goldman brothers are here and on the verge of agreeing to our terms. I think one more nudge from the both of us would do the trick."

Before Edward can look down and ask me if I'll be all right by myself, I nod at him. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."

He grins and places a kiss on my cheek before promising to be back by my side soon. I watch him go, my eyes – without my permission – travel down to get a look at his ass as he walks away.

"How is he in the sack?" Sulpicia leans in and asks. I startle a little and look at her wide-eyed for a moment before thoughts about my shower this morning come unbidden back into my mind.

"Oh." She says knowingly with a smirk. "That good, huh?"

By the time I regain my composure, someone is calling her name, and she is waving at them and excusing herself.

I reach out and grab a glass of champagne as a waiter passes and swallow down half. I wander over to the statue Edward pointed out and make a point of studying it, forcing the thoughts of him between my legs from my mind. When my eyes make contact with the statue's obscenely large penis, it works. I stifle a giggle behind my hand.

"So, what do you think?" Edward's familiar voice is surprisingly close by my ear.

I smile. "I think that thing would fit better on a statue of a horse." I feel his breath tickle my hair from up above with his silent laughter. He's standing incredibly close against my back.

I lean into him a little, liking the feeling of him there.

"I've been waiting for the two of you to be alone."

There, on the other side of Edward, Chelsea appears, seemingly from thin air.

He looks down at her, and after the surprise wears off, he scowls. "Let me guess. You're here with Dimitri?" he asks.

"Yes, I am. Our relationship is progressing wonderfully." She says sweetly, making me want to slap her.

"What do you want?" he asks. "Why did you want the two of us alone?" Edward slips his hand to my waist, resting it there.

She grins slyly at us and leans in. "Because I wanted to tell you that it really wasn't all that hard to find out what the two of you are up to."

"What are you talking about, Chelsea." Edward is clearly exasperated by her evasive statement.

She grins evilly and whispers, "I know about your…arrangement; about the contract."

My face immediately pales, and Edward's fingers tighten against my waist.

"You should really change your passwords regularly, Edward. Especially after you fire someone." She croons smugly and then looks to me. "Your fiancé is pretty hot, Bella. If you like the rugged type. Fortunately for you, I'm not into that."

I can feel Edward's rage rolling off him in waves as he shifts to stand in front of me. "Whatever you want, you won't get it." He says to her. "The only thing you'll get is sued and then thrown in jail."

"I don't know," she says, glancing at me. "The look on her face says otherwise. I dare to say that she'd do anything to keep the secret that she's a high dollar prostitute available for purchase at the right price."

A cold chill runs through me, thoughts of my father finding out what I've done causes undiluted fear to wash over me. No matter what I say, no one would believe I hadn't slept with him.

Edward lets go of my waist then and steps completely in front of me, blocking Chelsea's smug face from my view. He leans down and says something to her in hushed, hurried, and furious sounding tones. I don't hear what it is because the blood pounding in my ears drowns out everything else.

 _My father would never look at me the same._

I don't know how much time passes before Edward straightens back up to his full height. I feel him slip his hand into mine and tug on it a little, trying to pull me away.

I spare a glance at Chelsea, and it seems as if all the blood has left her body. She's white as a sheet, and her face looks as if she's just lost all hope and joy in life.

When we come to a stop around the side of the mansion, the party a dull rumbling and out of sight, he pulls me into his arms, wrapping them tightly around my upper back and waist.

I don't hesitate to lean into his embrace, hugging him tightly around his midsection and burying my face in his shirt. "It's okay, Bella, she won't say a thing to anyone. Trust me. I took care of it." I feel his cheek come to rest on the top of my head.

I somehow manage to hold back the panic that is clawing at my throat. I take a few deep breaths and steady my breathing.

"Please, Bella." Edward's hands move to cup my jaw on either side of my face. I lean back from his chest and look up into his pleading eyes. His head dips down at me, our noses impossibly close together. "Trust me. I promise no one will ever know about any of this. Ever."

I breathe him in as I nod. "I trust you."

His thumbs caress my cheeks as he closes his eyes and lowers his forehead to mine. My hands slide up his chest and come to rest on either side of his neck, loving the way his skin feels there. Our bodies are pressed gently against one another's, and the feeling is electric and relaxing, all at the same time. My eyes slip closed as I breathe deeply.

 _This feeling, it's intoxicating._

It's a long minute before I feel his breath wash over my face. I peek out at him to see his lips are wet and parted while his eyes are tightly shut. I frown and slide my hands over his face, wanting to erase the look of consternation from him. He leans into them, relaxing as my fingers touch the corners of his eyes.

After I am satisfied that he's feeling better, I raise up on the tips of my toes and slide my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. His arms wrap around me and squeeze me tightly against him as I turn my face into the skin of his neck. I nuzzle against it, my nose dragging softly along the length of his neck. "You smell so good," I whisper, my lips barely grazing across his neck with my words.

I feel a deep shudder roll through his body.

"Bella." He whispers back, stirring the hair on my shoulder and frying my brain. I don't think as I pucker my lips and ever so gently – just barely a graze – kiss the skin right under his jaw.

He freezes momentarily with surprise before sighing and melting against me. I can feel every hard and soft plane of his body pressed against every inch of mine. "Edward," I whisper, fingering the hair at his nape, no longer in control of my hands as they roam across his back and neck. My heart is in my throat, and every nerve ending feels hypersensitive.

He bunches the fabric of my dress in his hands on either side of my rib cage, his long arms wrapping almost completely around me. "Yes?" he says.

 _What did I want to say?_

For the life of me, I can't remember. But then again, it's really hard to think when Edward is holding me like this.

I lean my head back and pull away from Edward fractionally, hoping that looking in his eyes will help me remember. When our eyes meet, his are molten emeralds, burning with so many emotions. Hope. Desperation. Yearning. Speculation.

"I…" My mouth stops moving as my eyes move to his lips, seeing their perfect shape as ragged breaths blow shallowly from them. When I start to lean in, wanting to find out if they're as soft as they look, the sound of a glass dropping and shattering against the stone pavers around the corner breaks my trance.

Coming back to myself, abruptly and forcefully - feeling as if a bucket of ice water was dumped on my head - I pull my fingers from his hair and drop my eyes to the ground. "We should get back to the party."

"Bella," Falls softly from his lips, hurt and longing clear in his tone.

I don't dare look back as I practically run away around the corner. I take some very much needed cleansing breaths as I navigate through the crowd, craving a moment to myself. I really need to gain control of myself. Even though he is extremely attractive to me in _every way_ physically, I can't let my urges control me. If I were having sex regularly like I usually am, I wouldn't be so wound up near Edward. In fact, I'm sure if I looked at that well-endowed statue long enough, I'd want to jump its bones, too.

 _Yes. That's it. I'm just horny._

Once I figure out that's what's wrong with me, I feel better. By the time Edward finds me in the crowd a minute later, I am able to smile up at him as though nothing happened, slipping my hand easily into his.

 _The relief that accompanies that touch has got to be my horniness as well._

When he gazes down at me, looking concerned, I wave him off. "Sorry about that, Edward. It won't happen again," I reassure him. I look away before I see his reaction, not really sure I want to anyway.

 _One more week, Bella. Just hold on for one more week and then you can ravage Jake._

My mind recoils from that thought for the first time ever, leaving me wondering why and where it came from.

I'm grateful when a woman in a power suit walks over and starts a conversation with Edward. She distracts me from analyzing that mental recoil until it's forgotten; buried deep along with everything else Jake related I've realized about him over the past few weeks.

A few repressed feelings never hurt anyone. Right? There will be plenty of time for that later.

* * *

On the way back home, it's quiet in the car. It wasn't uncomfortable, just quiet. So quiet that when he asked if he could make me dinner, I startled a bit. After laughing at myself, I agreed, eager for the dish he said he wanted to try.

I let a few more minutes pass before I ask him what I've been thinking about for the past hour, unable to not be curious, no matter how hard I try. "What did you say to Chelsea?"

His fingers tighten around the steering wheel and his jaw flexes for a moment before he speaks, his head dipping a little. "Honestly, not anything that I'm particularly proud of. I know something very personal about her; something that she doesn't want getting out."

"That bad?" I ask.

All he does in response is nod and I decide to leave it at that.

 _I trust him._

A few hours later, I'm almost too stuffed to bend over and put the casserole dish in the dishwasher. Edward laughs briefly as I groan and rub my belly. "Ugh. Why did I eat so much?" I grumble. When he tries to help me clean up, reaching his hand for the dish, I lightly slap it away. "Stop trying to help. You cooked so I'll clean." He growls in frustration, and now it's my turn to laugh.

"Why don't you go find something to do?" I flick my water-soaked hands at him, spraying him with fat droplets to shoo him away. He laughs and then heaves with a grumble of his own. "Fine." He says, pouting as he walks off, looking like an abused puppy.

I shake my head at him and giggle, amused by him wanting to help me so much. I mean, I'm all for him doing the dishes when I cook. Why can't he be the same way?

When he walks down the hall towards his library, I assume that's where he's going. A few minutes later, just as I get done scrubbing the last dish, I think I hear the soft sounds of a piano being played.

I immediately turn off the water, straining my ears to see if I'm imagining it. When a sweet melody - one I've never heard before - reverberates off the floors and walls and into the kitchen where I am, I suck in a shocked breath.

 _He hasn't played piano for anyone to hear since his sister died. Not even his family._

I hurriedly dry my hands on a small towel and slowly creep down the hallway, my bare feet making no sound. The music is so unbearably sweet and vulnerable, but still complex and _incredibly_ impressive.

When I get to the opening of his piano room, I slowly peek around the corner, afraid I'll startle him like I would a small animal, scared he'll stop playing.

He spots me quickly and gives me a smile that warms my insides. When he nods his head for me to join him, sliding down the bench and making room, I don't hesitate to join him.

"This song is beautiful." I murmur to him as he keeps playing. "What's it called?"

He sighs deeply. "I don't know yet."

I'm confused for a moment before I understand. "You wrote this?" I ask astonished.

He gives me a crooked grin and nods. "It's very new. Only a few weeks old. I'm just not sure how it's going to end though. I haven't figured that part out yet."

"It'll come to you, and it will be perfect. Don't rush it." I reassure him as the last note hangs poignantly in the air, the melody clearly unfinished.

"God, I hope so." He whispers, leaning his head on top of mine.

A long minute passes before he sits up, placing his hands back on the keys and playing again.

I don't know how long I sit there with him while he plays, entranced by his long fingers gliding smoothly over the black and white keys, but I eventually fall asleep against his shoulder when he starts to play the first song from tonight. When he says my name softly, trailing a finger down my cheek, I wake to find him looking at me and smiling. He drops me off at my room as I stumble in, thanking him for deeming me worthy of sharing his talent with. Exhaustion hits me hard then, my head fogging with the anticipation of sleep.

When he whispers something about me saying crazy things, I nod incoherently and practically fall into my bed, asleep by the time my head hits the pillow.

* * *

 _Sorry it took so long for this update. I had A LOT going on. A case of the flu for two of my kids, a serious injury for my very elderly grandfather, I started back at school (college), and a death in the family. It's also why I didn't respond to the last round of reviews. It's been a **long** two weeks. I just want you to know that I read them all and I truly appreciate all your thoughts. __That being said, I will try my hardest to reply this time, but I am going to be out of town this weekend._

 _As always, thanks so much for taking time out of your day and reading my story!_

* * *

 ** _IMPORTANT!_**

 _Fair warning that there will be a time jump next week and it will be time for her to go back to Jacob. We'll finally find out what he's been doing this whole time._


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks to SunflowerFran for beta-ing my story. Any mistakes left are mine.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

* * *

When I look back at this last week, it makes me happy and sad at the same time. I absolutely loved the work I had done with Maggie's Purpose, and the nights…I think I liked them more. Edward has been teaching me how to play the piano. We would eat dinner together, cooking alternating nights, and then we would move to the piano room.

Usually, he would start out playing a few songs to loosen up his fingers. An eye-crinkling smile pulls up my lips as I remember his Jerry Lee Lewis impression. He jumped up on the piano bench and sang Great Balls of Fire beautifully out of key and at the top of his lungs. He ran his hands through his hair to mess it up and used his bare feet to play once, sliding his big toe down the keys at the end of the song. I couldn't stop smiling and laughing for the rest of the night.

And now, as I pack my suitcase on only three hours of rest – I couldn't sleep a wink last night – my heart well and truly aches. I am going to miss Edward so much that just thinking about it hurts. He's become my absolute best friend. He's even edged out Alice for that title. At least I have his phone number, and he will be sending me work for the charity on a weekly basis.

 _Except, I don't know how Jake will feel about me keeping in touch with Edward._

I don't want to fight with him about it, but at the same time, he can't tell me who can be my friend and who can't. Jake and I can discuss the parameters of our friendship, but I don't think I could ever cut Edward out of my life. He's too much a part of me now. Especially since he helped me realize I don't only want to work at the garage. I want to practice other types of law as well. I want to use my degree to help people, and not just to further my own gain.

Don't get me wrong, I want to be successful and be able to support any children Jake and I may have (I flinch) and be able to afford a decent house, but I don't need to be filthy rich like Jake has always talked about.

That is something that I've learned about myself. I'm not that person who dreams about being absurdly wealthy. I don't want some huge mansion and to be dripping in diamonds. I don't want to flaunt my successes and money in the faces of others. That's just not _me_. I'm a simple person and want a simple life, and that's okay.

Like the way Edward lives. Although he makes obscene amounts of money, he doesn't flaunt it with big mansions and a superior attitude. He helps countless kids and adults with all the extra money he makes. He doesn't care about having all the expensive toys and leads a simple, private life.

Ugh.

My heart gives an uneasy squeeze as I double check to make sure I have all my belongings. When I see the drawers are empty and the shower stall is free of all my soaps, my eyes sting with tears.

 _I'm going to miss him so much._

Taking a deep breath, I shake off the tears and zip up my old suitcase. When I pull it off the bed and turn towards the door, Edward is standing there, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and looking absolutely forlorn.

"What time is it?" I ask.

He looks down at his smartwatch and then back at me. "It's ten till noon."

 _Ten minutes till the contract is up._

"I think I got everything," I tell him after clearing my throat of the obstruction in it.

"If you didn't, I could always send it to you. Or you could come back and get it." He offers, sounding hopeful.

"We are still going to talk on the phone, right?" I ask him.

He gives me a small smile. "Of course."

A tiny bit of relief floods me and I nod.

"Here, let me take that for you," Edward says and grabs my luggage.

"Thanks."

He walks out of my room and into the kitchen. He boxed me some leftovers from the dinner he cooked last night - which happened to be the saddest dinner of my life - and put them in the fridge for me to take home. "I don't know how you expect me to eat all that." I force out a laugh as I look at the massive serving of food.

"Well, you didn't eat much last night."

"Neither did you." I point out.

He shakes his head and looks down at his feet. "I couldn't eat. I wasn't all that hungry."

"Me either."

It's quiet for a few moments as I watch his fingers trail lightly across the top of the counter. I move closer to him and place my hand on his. When he looks up at me, I can see sadness and something else burning in his eyes. "It's not like we'll never see each other again."

He nods. "I know." He tries to give me a smile and fails horribly. It ends up looking like a twisted grimace instead.

"I should probably go. Jake is probably waiting for me." I tell him. His face pinches together infinitesimally before he grabs my suitcase and starts to walk ahead of me. I hurry and catch his free hand, lacing my fingers with his as we walk to the outside garage. The tension in his shoulders eases some, and his rigid posture relaxes as he squeezes my hand, smiling a beautiful smile at me.

Not a word is said as we walk leisurely, swinging our hands between us to the garage. The sun is out today, and the light filters down on us, sending beautiful, multicolored rays of light across our path. When I look up at Edward, his hair is a vibrant copper color, no longer looking bronze like I always think of it. The shade is breathtaking against his skin.

I feel my bottom lip begin to quiver as we approach the door to the garage. I'm beyond glad when he lets go of my luggage, and not my hand, to press his thumb against the keypad. I don't want the always present tingling sensation from his skin touching mine to stop just yet.

 _Just a little more. Just a little longer._

Once inside the garage, our pace slows even more, my feet and his dragging against the smooth polished surface, my tennis shoes squeaking lightly.

When we make it to my old truck, the lump in my throat grows bigger. I choke on it a little and nervously tuck my hair behind my ears as I look down at the ground. Edward lets go of my hand to put my suitcase in the bed of the truck, and a wave of coldness moves through me. I'm looking at his bare feet as he turns back to me, watching as his hand reaches out and his fingers touch under my chin.

When he pulls my face up to look at him, I see we both have tears in our eyes. I stubbornly will mine not to escape and wipe them away before they roll down my cheeks.

He does the same.

"I'm going to miss you, Edward. You've become my best friend."

His eyes are deep emerald pools as he stares at me. I can see something there, some decision he is trying to make as his eyes dart back and forth between mine. My heart is in my throat, and at the same time at the bottom of my stomach as I watch him; his jaw flexing and his eyes beseeching mine for something.

"What time is it?" he asks, taking me by surprise. It takes me a few seconds to react, pulling his arm up and looking at his watch while he never takes his eyes from my face. A twisting feeling spreads through my stomach when I see the time. "It's 12:01." The contract is over.

I watch as his Adam's apple bobs deeply and then he clears his throat. His hands come up and cradle my face, and the feeling is so overwhelming.

"Please don't hate me for this." He says looking incredibly vulnerable. "But I'll never forgive myself if I don't let you know."

My heart is practically beating out of my chest as I tilt my head up towards his. "Know what?" I ask.

When I see him lick his lips, I do the same. He steps closer to me, and when I look back into his eyes, blazing determination and certainty fill them. The depth of the emotion there startles me, and I suck in a small surprised breath.

"This." He says, his breath washing over me and clouding any rational thoughts in my mind.

He grips the back of my neck with one hand while the other slides to my upper back and then he's kissing me.

There is no hesitation as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer. My fingers easily find the hair at his nape and slide through his silky strands, gripping onto it and pulling him even tighter against me.

We both groan at the same time, and he slips his tongue into my mouth, both of us desperate for it.

One minute it's pure lust, and the next, my world is shifting under my feet. I feel a deep-seated rumbling in the deepest pit of my body, and then my mind is spinning. My sense of home and everything that is right in the world uproots itself and lands squarely where I'm standing. Every nerve ending is alive and sizzling with pure exhilaration. It's completely dizzying and intoxicating and everything else good in the world.

"I love you, Bella." He whispers when he pulls back for breath. "So damn much." When he begins to kiss me again, his lips moving slower and oh-so-sweet, reality hits me… _hard_.

I've never heard those words from anyone other than Jake.

 _My fiancé._

 _The man who I promised to marry._

 _Jake, the person who I've been with for eight years._

 _The person who I'm cheating on right this second._

I pull back abruptly from Edward's lips. I stare at him as we both try to catch our breath. I watch as the joy that was in his eyes slowly turns to fear and then hurt as I stare at him, ashamed of my actions. "I…I should go." I back away and pull his arms from around me.

"Bella, please." He pleads.

I look away. I can't see that look of utter decimation in his eyes as I reach out blindly for the door handle to my truck. It will cripple me if I have to look at his face any longer.

"I need to go," I repeat, my heart shredding itself into tiny little pieces.

 _I am such a slut. Cheater! Harlot!_

"Please, Bella. I love you. Don't go." His voice quivers.

All I can do is shake my head and avoid eye contact. "I gotta go," I say while tears are now falling in a deluge and I jam my keys into the ignition. My loud and rumbling engine whines when I throw it in reverse and slam down the accelerator.

When I put the truck back in first gear, I make the mistake of looking at Edward standing off to the side. Like me, tears are falling down his perfect face, and his eyes betray the level of devastation he is feeling. I know as I drive away, I won't be able to be truly happy until I replace the memory of that face with one of him smiling.

 _But that will never happen because I'm engaged to Jake and I can't be friends with someone who is in love with me._

Halfway down his driveway, a strangled sob rips its way through me. I feel as if I am leaving a huge, gaping part of me the further I drive away from Edward. It's such a big hole that I wonder how I'll be able to survive without it.

 _Jake._

How can I think that when I am driving home to Jake, the man I'm in love with and am engaged to? He's the man I've wanted to marry for seven years and have planned a future with.

 _I am such a horrible person. How could I kiss Edward back?! I'm engaged. Engaged! I'm ENGAGED!_

And apparently, I'm also a whore who cheats on the man she's engaged to. Why did I kiss him back? He's my best friend and Jake is who I'm supposed to kiss.

I cry for a solid two hours as I drive up the highway and back to Forks. I manage to get myself together for the last hour of the trip, pulling over and fixing my face before driving into town. By the time I'm on our street, I have my entire confession and apology written out and rehearsed in my head. I know I have to tell Jake because I can't hide something like this from him. It wouldn't be right. If I don't tell him, I know the guilt will completely consume me.

When the old, yellow, cinder block house that has been my home for the past three years comes into view, I oddly don't feel the relief I was expecting to feel when I finally got back here. I'm also surprised to see that Jake's car isn't in the driveway. I thought for sure that he would be waiting eagerly for me.

 _Maybe he had to work._

I hop out and grab my bag from the truck bed, beating down the aching in my heart with all my might, and pull it with me as I dig my keys from my purse. When I get to the front door, I'm beyond surprised when it opens, and a teenage girl is standing there.

"Can I help you?" she asks, looking at my bag.

I sputter for a moment, looking around to make sure I am at the right place but already knowing I am. "Who are you?" I ask.

The second the last word leaves my mouth, I hear a car pull in the driveway behind the truck. I turn and see a nice-looking Chevy Silverado that is maybe a few years old. When Jake jumps out of the vehicle, I am left with no words.

He has a huge smile on his face as he walks to me. "Sorry, I'm late. Traffic was awful!"

"What?" I ask, completely and wholly confused. The garage is only two miles from here and why is there a teenage girl in our home?

He laughs at my confusion before wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up. The relief that usually accompanies his embrace doesn't come and fails to soothe my frustration and confusion. When his lips engulf mine, they are too harsh and too big, not nearly as knee-wobbling as I always thought they were.

"God I've missed you." He says as he sets me back down on my feet.

"Whose truck is that?" I ask and then look to the house. "And who is that?" I ask, wanting answers.

"What?! Didn't you miss me?" he asks, pouting.

"Of course, I missed you," I say as guilt makes its return to the front of my mind. I rise up on my toes and kiss him again, the action feeling somewhat foreign as he pulls back and smiles at me.

"Come on. Hop back in the truck and follow me." He grins, grabbing my bag and walking back to the Silverado.

"But…" I point to the house, and he laughs at me.

"Don't you trust me?" he asks rhetorically.

 _No._

"Yes," I say as I move back to my truck. Before I can even pull back out of the driveway, he is speeding down the road, my truck heaving and groaning in protest as I push the gas pedal to the floor in an effort to catch up to him.

When I realize that we are headed out of town and towards Port Angeles, I fumble around blindly for my phone in my purse. I dial Jake's number for the first time in a month and wait for him to answer. I watch ahead of me as he answers, pushing a button on the rear-view mirror.

"I'm not telling you where we are going until we get there." He says, answering the phone.

"Then will you at least tell me whose truck you are driving?"

"Sure. I'm driving mine." He says. He looks over his shoulder and out of the back window, allowing me to see the smile on his face.

"What?" I almost scream the word.

I see him shrug. "Don't tell me you don't agree that we needed a more dependable car."

"Sure, but you're a mechanic, Jake. You always fix the car if it breaks and you usually do it in under an hour and with the extra parts you have lying around."

"It was too good of a deal to pass up." He says, his tone a little snippy. "Besides, the painting you bought for $25,000 was delivered over two weeks ago. I figured if you could spend that much money on a painting, I could spend that much on a new vehicle we could both use."

"That was for charity, Jake. It was a silent auction. I was helping out."

"And I was helping us out when I got this. It's safe and dependable. If you're that upset, we can buy you a new car as well. That way, we'll be even."

I have to take a deep breath to calm myself. "I don't want a new car. We'll talk about this later."

I can practically hear his eyes rolling in his head as he says, "Okay, Bella."

I hang up and resign myself to trying to breathe deeply, telling myself that it's only a truck and it's not like he cheated on me.

 _Like I did._

I flinch at the memory of my indiscretion and quell the raging questions I have for him in my mind, following him instead of screaming with frustration.

 _I hate surprises._

Once we reach Port Angeles, he drives into a nice neighborhood and after a few turns, pulls into the driveway of a spacious, one level ranch-style house. It's gray with white trim and has a beautiful flower garden that lines the walkway to the front door. When I pull in behind him, he jumps out and runs to my door, opening it and pulling me out. "Welcome home!" he sings, pressing a kiss to my lips.

I pull back when I register his words. "What?"

He rolls his eyes while sporting a huge smile. "Relax. I didn't buy it or anything. I just rented it for a year."

"What?!" I exclaim again. "You…moved us…without talking to me?"

When he realizes just how angry I am, his smile drops from his face. He wraps his arms around me and takes a deep breath before snuggling his face into my hair. "I know. I probably should have waited." He admits. "But I heard this guy talking about how his sister was trying to rent out her house in Port Angeles." He pulls back and looks down at me. "We were already planning on moving here anyway, you know, to open the garage. When I came to look at it, it was perfect. This house was just too good of a deal to pass up. Please don't be too angry with me. I was only trying to help."

My jaw clenches a few times before I take purposeful breaths to rein in my anger and frustration, my eyes falling shut with concentration.

 _He was only trying to be helpful. We were moving here anyway._

I count seven breaths before I open my eyes back up to him. "Okay, show me the house. It does look very nice."

The smug grin he gives me causes my anger to flare up momentarily before I gain control of myself again.

He tugs me behind him, holding tightly to my hand, none of the electricity sparking through our skin like it does with Edward.

 _Stop that! Stop thinking about_ him _. It hurts too much and reminds me of what a horrible person I am._

When we step through the front door, I see there are boxes piled up and lined against most of the walls. When I look further into the house, I am beyond surprised to see Billy's recliner, front, and center, in the middle of the living room just ahead. A few seconds later, I'm even more surprised to see Billy come around a far corner in the back of the house, wheeling himself up to us. "Hey kiddo!" he says. "Had your fill of the big city, have you?"

"Billy. I wasn't expecting you to be here." I tell him honestly. I lean down and give him a kiss on his cheek like I always do. When I pull back and see the accusatory look Billy is giving Jake, I instantly become wary. "What's going on?" I ask as the two of them stare at each other, words silently passing between them.

"I'll just…" Billy says, nodding over his shoulder and then rolling away. When he disappears down a hallway, I look up to Jake. "What's your dad doing here?" I ask, unable to keep the accusatory tone from my voice.

He grabs my wrist and practically drags me into the updated kitchen on the opposite side of the house from where Billy is. When Jake spins around, and I am barely able to keep from running into him, he puts his hands up in front of him. "Please, just hear me out before you go ballistic." He begins, pissing me off from the first syllable that comes out of his mouth.

I grind my teeth together, already knowing what he's going to say.

"I couldn't just leave my dad in Forks. I had to bring him with me. There was some married couple with kids that wanted to rent this place, and I had to act quickly. So quick that I didn't have time to find a place for my dad nearby."

"First off, you could have just chosen _not to move_." I grit through my clenched teeth, trying desperately to keep my voice down and out of hearing range of his dad. "Secondly, yes, you could have left your dad in Forks. Quil could have taken care of him until you found a place for him. You didn't have to move him in with us, especially after the conversation we had just before I left."

"It's only temporary, Bella. Don't have a stroke over it." He says.

"Have you even looked for a place for him yet?"

He looks guilty. "No. I've been busy moving in here, trying to finish unpacking before you got back."

"How long have you been here?"

"Only two and a half weeks." He says. "I've been too busy to really look for a place."

"You moved us when I had been gone for only a week and a half!" My voice comes out in a very unattractive screech. "You didn't waste any time, did you?"

"That's not fair, Bella." He says. "I'm only trying to build a better life for us. We had been in that dump for three years. I figured you'd be happy to get out of it."

"Sure, _when_ the time was right, and _I_ had a say in it." I gesture around me. "There is no way we can afford this place on your salary alone, Jake. It's not as if your dad can help us. His disability checks barely cover his monthly medical supplies. And have you forgotten that I don't have a job?"

"When the first check for $250,000 was deposited, I just used a chunk of that to pay the rent for the entire year up front."

"And what about the commute, Jake?" I ask, slamming my hand down on the pretty granite countertop. "You said the whole reason you didn't want to take the job offers you received in Port Angeles was because of the commute and that you didn't want to be that far from your dad. Last time I checked, Joe's Automotive is in Forks, not Port Angeles."

He heaves a deep sigh, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair slowly. When he opens his eyes again, he looks tired and worried. "Bella, I think we'd better sit down. I have a lot to tell you. I've been busy since you left."

 _Well, that's obvious._

I allow him to pull me over to our small, shabby kitchen table where we sit across from one another. His expression turns serious as he reaches across the tabletop and grabs one of my hands in both of his. It takes effort not to rip it back to myself.

"Bella, I quit Joe's," he says.

All I can do is close my eyes and sigh. "I thought we had discussed this. We agreed to wait until I got back to do anything." When I open them back up, he actually looks remorseful.

"I know, I know," he says. "But really, Bella, there was no way I could keep that job while trying to start my own business. I figured I would just take that step and quit. We have more than enough money in the bank right now to survive for a while without either of us working. I only did the things we already agreed we would do before you left."

"But the house, Jake." I looked around at the nice finishes and thought about how it was too big for just us. "It's way more than the two of us need."

"What? I thought maybe it was a little small."

My eyes widen. "How many square feet is it?"

"Almost twenty-five hundred with three bedrooms with a bonus room upstairs."

"Jake! It's way too big for two people."

"Well, right now, there are three people who live here." He smiles cheekily at me, hoping that joking around about his dad living here will ease my frustration.

It doesn't work.

"And now we're stuck here for a year because you said you paid the rent in full." I pull my hand from his and lean back heavily in the chair. "I would ask you how much it cost, but I think I don't really want to know."

"Just enjoy it, baby." He says, getting out of his seat and kneeling in front of me. "I'm just so excited that I finally get to spoil you."

"But I don't want to spend unnecessary money on a house we don't need. We could have used that extra money for better tools for your shop or a better location for it."

"Well, I already have a place for the shop." He looks rather proud of himself when he says this. "Even you would be proud when you find out the deal I got on it. It truly is perfect."

"Did you already sign a contract?" I ask him.

"Well, yeah. It belonged to this chick's dad. It's a four-bay shop and was updated in the early 2000s. My dad and I checked it out, and we both agreed it was perfect. It's also only one street over from the main drag here in Port Angeles. The owner recently died, and his daughter was looking for someone to buy the shop from her. Honestly, she just wanted to get rid of it, so she sold it to me for really cheap."

"How much, Jake?" I ask. "I know the money Edward is investing isn't coming in till next week. That means you used the money that came from the contract."

"I bought it for $175,000." He admits.

I stand so quickly that the chair I was in falls backward. "Oh my gosh, Jake. After the $25,000 I spent for the charity and the $25,000 you spent on a new truck, plus the money you put down on this house…how much is left?"

"Well, I knew the other $250,000 was coming today since the contract was up. Plus, the money from the investment is also coming this week."

"So, let me get this straight," I say, pacing the length of the kitchen while Jake stands by the table. "You moved us, moved your dad _in_ with us, bought a truck, quit your job, AND bought a shop without me. What happened to us doing this together, Jake? I was supposed to help with negotiating prices and reviewing all the legal papers _before_ you signed them and agreed to anything. Did you even read the contract when you bought the garage?"

He looks a little offended, his eyes tightening and narrowing at me. "I'm not stupid, Bella. I read the main contract, and it was all fine, just your standard real-estate transaction. I figured you'd be thrilled I got such a good deal. I was only trying to do the right thing and make everything easier for you in the process. Now, you don't have to worry about finding a place to live here in Port Angeles or even go through the process of moving. I even found the perfect place to start out Black Automotive."

"Yes, but you did _ALL OF IT_ without consulting me, first!"

"But I did _ALL OF IT_ for us!"

"Edward kissed me, and I kissed him back." The words fly out of my mouth the moment he finishes speaking. I'm shocked by my admission, my face showing it as my eyes widen momentarily before I sigh, feeling like a weight was lifted. My eyes immediately close, not wanting to see the hurt on his face. I have no idea why I said it like that and at this moment. It's as if my body decided to say it before my mind did and the two didn't bother consulting with each other. Maybe it's because I want him to be as mad as I am right now. "I'm sorry. It happened right as I was leaving. He took me by surprise and kissed me as I was getting into the truck. I just responded on instinct."

I pray that fudging the truth on the last part will help soften the blow. The sensation I experienced when his lips were on mine was everything I hoped a kiss could ever be ... and it was intoxicating. That's how I always feel about Edward. Everything about him is intoxicating. And I certainly don't mention how my chest constricted and expanded all at once, my heart ripping out of my chest as I drove away. And most of all, I don't tell him that Edward said he loves me.

He's my best friend, but he's in love with me. Any friendship with him is now impossible. That truth is almost too painful to bear.

When Jake speaks, I'm surprised by his calm tone. "I knew he would kiss you. You're irresistible."

My eyes fly open and land on his smooth face, free from the anger I undoubtedly expected. "You knew he would kiss me, and you still wanted me to go?"

He chuckled softly. "I was hoping he would kiss you sooner so you could come home to me before the month was up." He steps forward and places his hands on my upper arms. "It's okay, Bella. As long as that's all that happened."

"That's all."

"You don't realize how beautiful and irresistible you are, honey. It's part of your charm. I would have been more surprised if he _hadn't_ kissed you."

I shake my head, trying to wrap it around the fact that he's not even slightly angry. "I can't believe you're okay with it," I say.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far." He said, his face scrunching together. "It's just that I fully expected him to do it." He reaches up and grasps my face with both hands, dipping down to look into my eyes. "I love you, Bella, and I meant it when I said I trust you."

Guilt almost crushes me when I can see the truth in his eyes.

 _I enjoyed kissing Edward back,_ way _too much. Much more than I should have._

When he pulls my lips to his and kisses me softly, I kiss him back, hoping to feel something more; feel what I did before I left. I want something more than this contentment that is surging through me. His lips are nice against mine; smooth, but a little too warm and too full. When he deepens the kiss, I bring my hands up and thread them in his hair, allowing him to press closer to me.

It's…nice.

When he breaks away, he smiles down at me. "See. I can wipe away any kiss he could ever give you. That was incredible."

 _What? Incredible?_

"Mmm-hmm." I hum back. Pulling away, I smile up at him.

"Are you ready for a tour?" he asks. I'm confused momentarily before I realize he is talking about the house.

My anger toward him returns, but I force it back down, giving him a nod of my head. It would be useless to argue about it since he's already paid the whole year and signed a lease. "I guess you should."

When he takes my hand in his and pulls me towards a door in the kitchen, all I want to do is yank it back and fight some more. I feel like he let the kiss between Edward and me go too easily. I was hoping for him to get mad and yell ... call me a whore and tell me to get out. For him to be as mad at me as I am at him.

"Here is where the magic is going to happen."

We go through a door in a small hallway, and he leads me to the master bedroom. It's easily triple the size of our old bedroom. Our bed and our worn, old dresser are the only two items of furniture, leaving it feeling bare and cold.

He lets me take a few steps ahead of him as I look around. Before I can move towards the attached bathroom, I feel his arms snake around me from behind.

Jake pulls me snugly to his front, and his breath tickles my ear as he says huskily, "You know, I've really missed you." His hands slide down to my hips, grabbing them and pulling my rear into his half-hard cock. "Why don't we christen the new house." I feel his teeth graze across the skin at my neck, something I've always loved.

But, for some reason, it doesn't have the same effect that it usually does.

 _Maybe it's because I'm still mad at him._

When his hands slide forward a little and start unbuttoning my pants, I once again get the urge to push him away. He'll think he's forgiven if I sleep with him. But then again, he forgave me so easily when I told him about the kiss. I should be grateful for that. I cheated, and he forgave me.

"I've been so horny this past week. I know you have been too. You were always worse than me about wanting sex."

I close my eyes, hard, and allow him to slide my pants down past my hips. He's my fiancé. I should want to have sex after abstaining for so long. Even if it doesn't feel like it used to, I know it's just because I'm mad at him.

I mean, I have been extremely horny, lusting after Edward the past two weeks. Maybe sex is what I need.

When he spins me around, slamming his lips against mine with an almost crushing force, I do my best to get out of my own head and just relax. My hands go to his shoulders as he pulls my shirt over my head. Once I'm only in my bra and underwear, he lets go of me and strips in record time. I force a smile on my face when he looks at me, and he winks when he frees his erection from his boxers.

I don't look down at it.

Instead, I close my eyes, taking a deep breath and reach behind myself to unhook my bra. Apparently, I'm not fast enough for him. He pounces and almost rips it off, sliding my underwear down my legs as quickly as he did my pants.

Somehow, we end up on the bed, and before I can even scoot up to the pillows, he's shoving inside of me, holding himself above me. "God I've missed you." He murmurs, kissing me.

"Me too," I say back, turning my head and taking a deep breath, not wanting him to kiss me any more right now. It's not too long before he's coming, emptying himself inside of me. He grunts his release and then falls to the side, pulling me to him and snuggling against my back. Jake then kisses the side of my face and tells me he loves me before promptly falling asleep.

Once his arm goes slack over the top of me, I slide out of bed and into the ensuite, feeling the sudden urge to shower. I turn on the water and don't wait for it to warm up before I get in. Once it does warm, I slide down the tile and let my tears have me. I have to bite the back of my hand, so the sobs breaking free from my throat are muffled and don't call attention to my crying.

I don't understand why I am feeling so incredibly guilty as I sit here. Actually, it feels as though I don't understand _anything_ anymore. All I could think while we were having sex was how I wished my period was this week instead of the last one and how grateful I was that I remembered to take my birth control this morning.

 _…and how much my heart hurts right now._

The water runs cold before my tears stop and I'm forced out of the shower.

* * *

 _Poor, confused Bella. What's she going to do next?_

 _Anyways, sorry it took so long for an update and for not responding to the last round of reviews. The day after I posted the last chapter, my grandfather passed away, 4 days after my uncle did. RL has been harder for me but I took time out to write this as a distraction. Things are getting better now and I'm looking forward to finishing off this story in the next month or two. As Dory says, "Just keep swimming!", even when you don't feel like it._

 _Like always, thanks for reading and don't forget to **follow** and **review**! I **LOVE** hearing what your thoughts are!_


	17. Chapter 17

Big thanks to my beta SunflowerFran. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

* * *

"Bella. Wake up."

Jake's hand nudges me, and I open my eyes. He's hovering over me and smiling. When his hand comes down and caresses my cheek, I pull away and sit up.

"Why did you sleep on the couch?" he asks, sitting beside me.

"I…couldn't sleep." _Lie_. "I got up and searched through the boxes for a book to read. I guess I fell asleep when I sat down to read it."

Lying. I'm lying. I've never felt the need to lie to Jake before, but somehow, I don't think I should tell him that his presence in the bed next to me made me antsy. I got up and dug the copy of Wuthering Heights out of my suitcase that Edward gave me from his library. When I got tired, I pulled a blanket from the couch and went to sleep. The thought of getting in bed with Jake last night caused me to have a physical reaction.

A negative one.

"Oh, well, okay." He says, giving me a sweet smile. "So, you wanna go see the garage today?"

I shrug. "Sure. After all, it was bought with _my_ money."

"You still mad about that?" he asks, sounding a little exasperated. "Well, I don't think you will be when you see the place. It really is great, Bella."

"Where are the closing papers?" I ask. I push the blanket off my legs and stand. I walk by him and make my way to the kitchen, going right to the coffee maker and starting it up. Jake rifles through a pile of papers on the table while my cup brews. I am able to put sugar and creamer into it and toast a bagel before he smiles and waves a stack above his head.

"Found 'em." He tosses the papers down in front of me, and I start reading. It doesn't take me long before I'm done. "Everything looks pretty straight forward," I say, setting them down. "I only have one question, though."

He furrows his brows. "What is it?"

I tap the bottom of the top page. "Who is Thomas P. Redding?"

Jake looks a little sheepish. "Why did you ask when you already know?"

"Because I want to hear you say it."

He rolls his eyes and leans on the other side of the island I'm standing at. "He's the lawyer I hired to do the paperwork for the shop."

"Which was supposed to be my job," I say, staring at him and raising one brow. "And yet, you spent money to have him draw up the papers, which I would have done for free. This was supposed to be _our_ thing, Jake. We were supposed to do this together."

"It is, and we are." He says emphatically.

"And yet the garage is only in your name, yet bought with the money I earned."

"What is with you, Bella? We've always had a joint bank account. We've never separated our money before. I used the money you made, and you used the money I made. That's how a partnership works. That is how _we_ have always worked."

That was true. "But you never asked me for my opinion or blessing on anything."

"That's because I couldn't talk to you this past month." He's become defensive, the tightness in his eyes giving him away. "I made decisions for us; for the betterment of us. It's not like fully operational garages in prime locations for tiny amounts of money come along every day. I made a decision. Yes, I did it without your opinion, but if I hadn't, we'd be looking at either building a new garage – which would be outrageously expensive – or buying one in a much worse location."

Maybe it was just my pride that was hurt when he had another lawyer draw up the real estate contract. But still… "It still wasn't okay to just make that kind of decision without me, Jake. Why didn't you say you'd have the money at the end of the month? That's usually how long real estate transactions take anyway. You could have had this Redding guy draw up a contract that said you would pay cash, in full at the end of the month. You could have offered her half of the money in order to incentivize her for retainment purposes. You didn't _have_ to buy it."

He growls in frustration and pushes away from the island, turning away from me and stabbing his fingers through his hair. I can see how tense he is by the way his shirt clings to him.

"What do you want me to say, Bella? That you're right? That I could have done those things?" he asks, spinning back around to face me. "I could have, but honestly, I didn't even think about any of those options."

"And that is my point," I say, shoving away what's left of my bagel. "We were supposed to do this as a team because we work better together. I have always thought long term while you are more impulsive. Together we balance out each other. When you do things on your own that you always promised we'd do together - like buying a business - it makes me think you don't respect my perspective, input, and opinion. That is not how a relationship, or even a partnership for that matter, works."

When he doesn't say anything back, I grab the closing papers and his keys that are hanging on a hook by the fridge, leaving my phone on the charger in the room.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

When I slide my feet into my tennis shoes I wore yesterday, not caring that I only have leggings and an old t-shirt on, I look back to him. "I'm going to see this garage without you. I need some time to process everything." I don't turn back when he calls my name and walk out the front door, hitting the unlock button on the key fob to his new Silverado. I climb in and slide the seat forward so I can reach the pedals before peeling out of the driveway while trying to remember how to get out of this damn neighborhood.

It takes me a while, but I find the garage, getting the address from the closing papers. Looking up at the blue and white metal building from inside the truck makes my blood boil. I purse my lips together and close my eyes, breathing deeply until I calm down.

That takes a while.

When I finally feel better, I hop out of the truck and walk up to the door. After trying a few keys on Jake's key ring, I find the right one and unlock the door.

"Dammit," I mutter. He was right. Looking around at the equipment and size of the place, for $175,000, it was a steal. This somehow manages to make me angry again. Maybe it's because I can't go back and say that he was ripped off and scream at him. Or maybe, it's because I would have agreed to buy it if we had seen this together.

"Argghhh!" I scream. My voice reverberates off the hard floor and walls, mocking me when they come back to my ears and I hear how ridiculous I sound.

I sound like a pirate.

Once that thought passes through my mind, the laughter begins. At first, it's just tiny giggles. It doesn't take much time for them to turn into hysterical guffaws. Not the good kind of hysterical guffaws, but the kind that when you hear it, makes you question if the person they are coming from is actually crazy.

Because right now, that's how I feel.

Crazy.

 _And boy do I miss Edward something kind of fierce._

My laughter almost instantly turns into sobs as the dam that was holding my sadness at bay breaks.

 _I'll never see Edward again._

I can't if I want to stay with Jake _._ I've lost my best friend. I can't have someone in my life who is in love with me. It wouldn't be fair to him.

It's a long time before I am able to stop the flow of tears. It's even longer before I find the will to stand from where I've been sitting on the floor in the middle of the garage.

I lock up the place, and when I get back in the truck, I don't go back to the new home Jake rented. Instead, I drive back to Forks. I don't realize I'm headed towards my dad's place until I'm on his street and parking in front of his house. Thankfully, the cruiser is in the driveway meaning he is home. I knock twice before walking inside.

"Dad!" I call out.

"Bella?" he says, his head popping around the corner to the kitchen. He smiles widely when he sees me. "Hey Bells! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." He walks to me and wraps me in a hug as I shut the front door.

"I feel the same way, Dad," I say. Only I choke a little on the words. I squeeze him tighter when he tries to pull away.

"Is everything okay?"

"I don't know, Dad," I say as I forcefully will the tears not to slide from my eyes.

He rubs my back soothingly for a minute before I let him go. His inquisitive eyes search mine when they meet. "Is it about Jake?" he asks. "I can see you've been crying. The skin around your eyes is puffy."

My bottom lip quivers as I nod.

"Come on." He nudges me toward the kitchen. "It looks like the both of us need a beer."

I give him a weak smile and follow, sitting at the table in the middle of the bright yellow kitchen. He opens the fridge, pulls out two beers and opens them, setting one in front of me.

"So, where should we start?" he asks eyeing me.

My beer bottle becomes very interesting as I speak. "Did Jake tell you that we got an investor for the garage?"

"Of course. He said the two of you found a place in Port Angeles."

I shake my head. " _He_ found _and_ bought a place in Port Angeles without even telling me."

"What? He did?"

I nod my head and take a sip of my beer. "Yeah. Before I went to Seattle, we had a really big fight. I needed space, and we decided to take a break from each other, not talking to one another for almost the entire time I was there. We didn't break up or anything, we're still engaged, but we just…I don't know. Separated?"

"Bella. Why didn't you tell me?" His tone is soft, and his warm hands reach across the table and rest on one of mine for a moment before pulling them back. When I look up to him, I can see the surprise in his eyes.

I shrug. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't want to talk about it."

"And he bought the garage while the two of you weren't speaking?"

"He did." I take another pull from my beer. "He also bought that truck out there, moved us to Port Angeles, _and_ moved Billy in with us. All without talking to me about any of it."

"When I spoke with Billy, he said Jake had talked to you and you said it was okay."

I shake my head. "It was most certainly _not_ okay. I love Billy – you know I do – but I don't want him living with us. I need privacy. Especially since Billy always takes Jake's side in any argument we have. But then again, he wouldn't know about our arguments if Jake didn't run off and tell him everything about every aspect of our relationship. Even when I ask him not to and he knows I hate when he does it. Yet, he still does."

Breathing deeply does nothing to quell my burgeoning anger. The more I talked, the more I realized that Jake doesn't really listen to me or take anything I say into consideration.

"Well, what's going to happen now?" Dad asks, shifting in his seat, his eyes narrowed with his own anger. He loathes being lied to.

My eyes drop from his, looking to the now empty beer bottle I'm spinning on the table. "I really don't know, Dad. I don't know what to do. I mean, what's done is done. I can't undo any of the things he did while I was gone. It kind of feels like being mad about those things is pointless because I can't take them back. But at the same time, I _am_ mad about them."

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying and see Dad stand from his chair and turn to look out of the window. I can tell he's mad but is trying not to show it. "You have every right to be mad about what he did." He says, his words clipped and tense. "You're also right that you can't take any of it back. But what you can do is let him know how serious what he did is. You need to be able to trust him, and when he did all those things, he lost the trust you had placed in him." He turns around and catches my eyes. "Am I right about that? He lost your trust?"

I think about it for a moment before nodding. "Yes. He lost it."

"Then tell him that. Make him understand how important it was for you to have been involved in big decisions that affect the both of you."

His jaw clenches a bit, his facial muscles flexing with his effort to remain calm. He's always been like a grizzly bear when it comes to protecting me and my happiness. As much as he loves Jake, and he loves him _a lot_ , he loves me more and would run him over with his cruiser if he ever really hurt me.

"The two of you have been together since you were kids. I'd hate to see you break up before really trying to fix this. But on the other hand, he can't do things like that."

Not really wanting to talk about it anymore, I get up and throw my beer bottle away. "Can I just hang out here for a while?"

He gives me a small smile, knowing full well what I'm really asking is if I can hide out here for a few hours.

"Of course. You know you don't have to ask."

* * *

By the time I pull back into the driveway of the house in Port Angeles, it's almost dark. The moment I step through the door, I hear Jake call for me. I ignore him and walk to the bedroom. "I'm going to take a shower, Jake," I say when he bounds in front of me, blocking my path to the master bedroom.

"Where have you been all day?" he asks.

"Out," I say, then push his shoulder and move past him.

"Where is 'out'?" When I still don't answer him, he groans with frustration. "Did you go and see _him_?"

He spits the word 'him' like it's the most detestable word in the world.

I spin, my anger spiking through the roof. "Who is 'him,' Jake? Edward?"

"You know that's who I'm talking about." His voice is raised, and his face is red.

"Seriously, Jake? You want to go _there_?"

"I saw the picture of both of you. You were wearing a white dress with blue flowers, and his hands were all over you. And don't even get me started about where your hands were and how it looked like you were about to kiss. That certainly wasn't yesterday."

My mind flashes back to the garden party when Edward and I went around to the side of the house after Chelsea approached us. It's true we almost kissed, but we didn't.

"He was comforting me _as a friend_ , Jake. His awful ex-employee found out about the contract and threatened to tell my father that I was a high-class prostitute. I ran off in a panic, crying, and he followed me. At that moment, I desperately needed a hug from my friend. You know if anyone ever found out about the deal we made that NO ONE would believe I hadn't slept with him for money."

I turn to walk away to the bathroom but spin back around when I realize I'm not done.

"And what happened to what you said yesterday? ' _I meant it when I said I trust you, Bella_.' I told you about the only time we kissed, and now, you want to go back on what you said and accuse me of lying? To suggest that we also kissed then?"

I can tell my words hit him hard. His anger starts to deflate, and he takes a few steps away from me. "I didn't know that someone else found out about the contract."

"Next time, instead of insinuating that I lied to you and jump to conclusions over a picture, how about you just ask me?"

This time when I turn, I do go into the bathroom and slam the door shut. "And by the way, I went to the garage and then to my dad's house, you asshole!" I yell through the door.

After a thirty minute shower, I think I'm finally calm enough to step out and back into our room to face him. Wrapping a towel around myself, I go into the bedroom and find that he's gone. I get dressed and leave the room only to see Jake standing in the kitchen with a bouquet of roses in his hand.

"You were right. I shouldn't have brought up that picture, and I shouldn't have suggested that you went to see Cullen." He holds the flowers out for me to take. "I'm sorry."

I sigh and take them from him. When I walk past, not taking him up on his offer of a kiss, he huffs out a loud breath of air. "Thank you for the flowers, Jake, but you can't buy me roses every time you mess up and just expect to be instantly forgiven. They're plants, not a magic wand."

I start opening up cabinets, trying to find where he put the vases. Jake quickly pulls one down from across the island in the one above the fridge. "Thanks," I tell him as I take it and fill it with water.

"I know it's not a magic wand, but at least it's a start."

I purse my lips. "I guess."

When Billy sneezes, I look up and realize that he's in the living room watching television. The man can hear better than most animals.

 _How long has he been there?! Did he hear what I said about the contract and being a prostitute?!_

My anger returns faster than a stealth bomber can fly. "But it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what you did while I was gone." My teeth are clenched together, and I have to spit the words through them, trying my hardest to keep my voice down, so Billy won't hear what is an extremely private conversation.

"It doesn't matter that we had planned to do all these things, it's the fact that you betrayed my trust and did them without me and behind my back. That is the antithesis of trust. You spent the $250,000 like that." I snap my fingers in his face. "And you did it without any input from me."

When he starts to speak, I stop him and grab his shirt, pulling him behind me until we are back in the bedroom and the door is shut. "And now, I can't even have a conversation with you in my own home without fearing that your dad will overhear it!"

"What? Am I supposed to send him to his room every time you feel like yelling at me? I thought you were over it."

"Well, I'm not 'over **it.'"** I use air quotes to let him know how I feel about those words being used for this situation. "And until I am, you can go and sleep on the fucking couch!" I put my hands on his chest and shove him backward. When I step around him to open the door, he tries to grab my hand, and I snatch it away. "Don't touch me." I seethe.

Once the door is open, he allows me to push him out. After throwing some of his clothes and his pillow out of the room and into the hallway, I lock the door and climb into bed where I stay till morning.

* * *

It's three days later before I speak to him again. Ever since I kicked him out of our room, he's been staying out of my way, giving me space and telling me how beautiful I look and how much he loves me every time he sees me. There is an occasional sincere apology thrown in the mix every now and then, but I don't acknowledge them. I'm just glad that he seems to finally understand that what he did was _not_ okay.

Billy, on the other hand, has been giving me the stink eye every chance he can get.

"I would really like it if you came to the garage with me today to meet with a tooling guy," Jake says softly when I wake and go to make myself some coffee. It looks like he's been waiting for me to emerge from the bedroom for a while. There's an empty plate with crumbs in front of him at the table and an empty mug of coffee.

When I don't answer him, he stands and walks over to me, placing his hand gently on where mine is resting on the counter, waiting for my coffee to brew. "Bella, please." He gives a little squeeze before his other hand tucks some hair behind my ear. "Would you please look at me?" The pleading in his tone does me in, and I look up. "Please come with me, Bella. I don't want to do this without you."

His big brown eyes turn into the size of saucers as he holds my gaze.

I nod. "What time?"

He gives me a brilliant smile before reigning it in, settling on a closed mouth upturn of lips. "In an hour and a half."

"Okay. I'll go and get ready." I take my coffee with me and go to the room to get dressed.

By the end of the day, things are close to being back to normal. Although I'm clearly still upset, refusing to kiss him or hold his hand, the conversations between us are the normal ones we used to have. He even tells me that he has lined up two places to look at for his dad to rent. He is going to see them in two days.

After hearing that, I allow him to move back into our bedroom and sleep in the bed with me. Albeit, I won't let him touch me like he wants to, but he's back in the bed.

When the next day rolls around, Jake is in a remarkably good mood. I sense he thinks the worst is over and he's exceptionally playful, pinching my sides as he moves around the kitchen while I try to make breakfast. He even steals a few kisses on my cheek as I try to swat him away.

Sitting down at the table to eat the pancakes I made, he won't stop staring at me.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Because you're just so damn beautiful."

I shake my head and repress a grin. When he's finished, he jumps up and grabs his keys from the hook. "I have to go and take care of a few things. I'll grab a couple of things from the store and then get my last paycheck from Joe's. It'll probably take a couple of hours, okay?"

"Okay."

He smiles and leans down to kiss the top of my head before hurrying out of the door.

Yep, everything seems to be getting back to how it used to be before this past month. Except there is one tiny difference.

I can't seem to stop thinking about Edward Cullen every second of every day and missing him more than I would have ever thought imaginable. It's almost debilitating the way he consumes my every thought.

Right now, I'm winning the battle in my head not to call him. But the voice screaming at me to pick up my phone and dial his number, if only to check and make sure he's okay, is slowing inching forward and gaining momentum.

* * *

 _What did you think of how Bella responded to everything? What did you think of Charlie's advice? Tell me what you think! And btw, I think y'all will really like the next chapter. ;) Her breaking point is nigh! A big little plot bunny I left lying around in the story comes back and is the fuel that pushes her over the edge. What do you think it could be?_

 _As always, thanks so much for taking time out of your day and reading my story! Don't forget to **review** you're done!_


	18. Chapter 18

_Thanks to my beta, SunflowerFran. I know THAT she must get tired of correcting all of the annoying habits THAT I have. Lol!_

 _Also, I want to give a huge thanks to all those who recommended this story or any of my other ones. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that!_

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

* * *

The first thing that runs through my mind when I wake up is Edward. The second thing is that I need to get out from under Jake's arm that is slung over my waist. I wiggle slowly, picking his arm up by his wrist, and rolling gently out of bed. I hurry over to the bathroom, eager to take a quick shower before he awakes and tries to join me. I've been successfully avoiding any physical contact with him for five days, and I still don't think I'll want to have any physical contact today. Just waking up under his arm was too much.

 _What I wouldn't give to have Edward's arms wrapped around me._

My heart aches with longing to do something as simple as hug him and have him hug me back. I miss my best friend with such blinding intensity that I'm constantly wrapping my arms around myself in an effort to find comfort. It's a new trait Jake commented about yesterday. He asked me if I was cold because I was hugging myself all the time.

Ugh. And now my chest hurts again.

My phone has felt like a ten-pound weight I've been carrying around in my pocket. I've been secretly looking at a picture I snapped of us when he was teaching me how to play the piano. In it, his hair is in disarray after a long day at work and mine is tied up in a bun. He's wearing a plain black t-shirt and sweatpants, and I'm wearing blue yoga pants with a baggy gray sweater. Mascara is smudged at the edge of one eye while the rest of my makeup has been cleaned off. Even with how horrid I look after a long day, the smile I have on my face is beyond radiant. The same can be said for Edward's smile. I had gotten used to seeing it on a daily basis, and now that I haven't seen it in almost a week…it's become torturous.

Apparently, I am a sadist because I can't bring myself to stop pulling it up and staring at it, like I am right now, even though it kills me a little on the inside each time. I feel the sweet pain that accompanies the image and hate myself for leaving so hastily after our kiss and his confession.

Right now, I deserve to feel the pain.

"Bella? You in there?" Jake jiggles the doorknob, and he finds that it's locked.

"Yeah. I'm using the bathroom." I lie.

"Okay. Are you going to let me in?"

"Just a sec. I'm almost done." I hurry over to the toilet and relieve myself before almost running out of the bathroom. When I try and scoot by Jake, he wraps one of his big arms around my waist and pulls me to a stop.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asks with a lazy smile on his face.

"I'm going to go for a run." When I try to move out of his grasp, he holds me tight.

"We…we're okay, right?" he asks.

I look up at the hopeful look in his eyes and my insides twist. "We are getting better, Jake. I'm not as mad as I was before, but, all in all, we're okay."

Even though I know what I said is a lie, I know I can't tell him the truth because I'm not even sure what the truth is. I know I don't welcome his touch like I did before. I know that little things he did before that would annoy me now just downright piss me off. I know I absolutely hate that he made decisions for me without even questioning whether I would approve of them or not. I know I am constantly censoring what I really want to say because I'm afraid of hurting his feelings or calling attention to the fact that I don't agree with what he says most of the time. I know I've realized I was always compromising what I wanted to suit Jake's wants because I loved him and wanted him to be happy.

Since I've been back, I now realize the last one is something I've done almost every single day for years. It's fair to say, I'm not exactly thrilled about my awareness of such a trait.

When he leans down to kiss me, the instinct to pull away is strong.

However, I hold steady, knowing that if I do, it will start an argument I just don't have the energy for. I let him give me a small, brief kiss before drawing back and giving him a small smile.

I'm able to move away then, Jake satisfied for the moment. Once I know he's occupied in the bathroom, I grab some running clothes and I quickly change before he can come back and try to initiate more physical contact.

I'm out the door after another two minutes and running away from the thoughts in my head.

* * *

Jake is out with his dad touring an apartment when my phone rings. Thankfully, it's Alice and not Jake.

"Hey, love," I say into the phone. "Sorry I didn't respond to the text you sent yesterday."

"That's okay." She says. The tone of her voice catches my attention. Her usual peppy, upbeat voice is calmer and more collected than I've heard it in a long time. "That's why I'm calling. I know I told you I wanted to meet up sometime this weekend, but I am going to have to move that up to today."

"What's going on, Alice? You sound different."

I hear her take a deep breath. "Do you think you can meet me at Jasper's parent's house in thirty minutes?"

"Yeah. No problem. I'm in Port Angeles right now so it'll take me twenty minutes to get there, but I'm already dressed." I look down at the denim shorts, old, white Foo Fighters t-shirt, and low-cut white and blue chucks I'm wearing, grateful I decided to put daytime clothes on when I got back from my run.

"Okay, see you soon."

She doesn't wait for me to say goodbye before she ends the call. Seriously worried now, I jump up, grab my keys and purse and run out of the house.

Only eighteen minutes has passed when I pull up to the large brick house on the outskirts of town. Once my old truck rolls to a stop, I'm out of it and at the front door knocking frantically.

Jasper opens the door and smiles sweetly at me. "Hey, Jasper. Where's Alice?" I say, peeking into the house.

He laughs once and says, "Hello to you too, Bella. Long time no see. She's in the basement."

"Sorry, Jas. It's just that Alice sounded…different on the phone." I step inside and head for the stairs. Jake and I spent a lot of time here growing up. Being back is comforting, and it feels like I'm taking a trip down memory lane. Everywhere I look, I see Jake and me. Although now, the memories feel more bitter than happy where Jake is involved.

"Yeah." He replies seriously. "She's been beside herself for a couple of hours now."

"What's going on?" I ask, turning to face him.

"It's better if Alice tells you." He then nods to the door that leads down to the basement, just off his parent's kitchen.

I've descended the stairs in record time only to find Alice, along with Jasper's cousin, Peter, sitting on the worn, old sofas to the right. His presence brings me up short. "Hey, Peter. It's been a few years since I've seen you." I give him a smile as he stands, and we exchange a brief hug. "You look great."

He gives me a half smile. "Thanks. Losing sixty-five pounds and some hair dye will do that for you."

"I like the brown. It suits you much better than the blonde."

He blushes before sitting back down. Before I can move a muscle, Alice has me in a death grip, hugging me so tight that I'm barely able to breathe. "I've missed you too, you freakishly strong elf," I say as I awkwardly try to hug her while she has my arms pinned to my sides.

"I've really missed you, Bella. I love you so much." Her voice shakes a little and the initial worry I had before I saw Peter returns.

"I love you, too." She finally lets me go, and I place my hands on her arms. "Now are you going to tell me why you needed to see me so desperately?"

"Here. Come sit next to me." She says. She pulls me to where she was sitting and pats the cushions until I sit. When I do, she pulls my hand into one of hers. She takes a deep breath before speaking again. "So, Jake called me a couple of hours ago."

I shake my head, confused. "Why would he do that?"

"He called to ask me a favor. He wanted to know if I could plan your wedding…yours and his ...as a surprise for you. He told me he would give me $20,000 to do it and that I had three weeks to pull it together."

I immediately jump up. " _What?"_ I scream.

"When I told him he should seriously talk to you about it first to make sure it's what you wanted, he, in no uncertain terms, insisted he wanted to give you the wedding you never dreamed you could have. Oh, and that of course, what he planned was exactly what you would want. After all, you've been begging him to get married for years."

"What the fuck is wrong with him?!" I screech. "He's lost his damn mind! First off, that's a ridiculous amount of money. He's going to run us broke. Secondly, I hate surprises; surprise weddings even more. Thirdly, I have never wanted a huge wedding where an insane amount of money would be wasted. Fourthly, I don't even know if I…"

Alice cuts me off. "I know, I know." She grabs me by my wrist and pulls me back to sit next to her. "But that's not the only reason why I called you and asked you to come over." Her eyes quickly dart to Peter and back to me. "Peter was here when I got his call, and he was more than surprised to find out that you and Jake were still together."

I turn and look at him. "Why?" I ask.

He looks like he's in pain as he starts to speak. "I know I haven't come around for a few years, but you and Jake have been together since you were teens. I remember him from when I would visit here during the summers." He shifts nervously, his fingers twitching and grasping each other as he speaks.

* * *

 **Peter**

The look Bella is giving me is one of pure confusion.

 _God, I hate this._

"I guess I should start from the beginning…which was two weeks ago," I say, solidifying my resolve as I see the look on her beautiful face. "I was waiting for my friend, Garrett to show up at a bar in Port Angeles when I saw Jake come barreling in."

Thirteen days ago _…._

 _Garrett is now ten minutes late, but I'm not that worried. I know I'll be waiting another ten; it's his style, ass that he is. When the waitress sets the beer I ordered down in front of me, I thank her and hand her a generous tip. She's hot, and I wouldn't mind getting on her good side so I could ask her out before I leave._

 _There is a guy who bursts through the door just as the waitress turns away, gaining the attention of the whole bar. He's big, maybe six foot five and built like a brick house. Kind of hard to miss even if he wasn't clutching a grocery store gossip magazine and yelling for a draft beer._

 _When he turns his head to the side a little, I realize I know him. He's Jake, the fiancé of Alice's friend. I briefly consider getting up from my table in the corner and going to say hello to him at the bar. That train of thought cuts off swiftly when he downs the pint he just ordered in under a minute. He doesn't exactly scream '_ approachable' _at the moment._

 _I slide down in my chair in hopes he won't see me, and if he does, he won't recognize me with all the weight I lost and my different color hair._

 _When Garrett arrives ten minutes later, Jake has downed a second beer and orders another. "Hey man. Sorry, I'm late."_

 _"No worries," I say, still watching Jake._

 _"Want me to go talk to him for you?" Garrett asks, nodding to Jake._

 _"Shut up," I tell him, rolling my eyes. "I know that guy. He seems to be pretty messed up right now, though."_

 _"Wanna go talk to him?" he asks._

 _I shake my head adamantly. "I don't know him that well. I'm not about to get involved in whatever has his boxers in a bunch."_

 _Garrett looks over at the bar and nods. "I can understand that."_

 _When the door opens again, everyone turns to stare like they did with Jake, only for a different reason._

 _One of the most beautiful women I've ever seen walks in wearing a skin-tight, red mini dress. Her tits are spilling out of the top, and I swear I can see a little bit of her pink areola peeking over the low-cut top._

 _Garrett lets out a low and quiet whistle that only the two of us can hear. "Holy shit. I swear I dreamed about seeing a woman that beautiful in person just last night. Except I wasn't dreaming, and I had my fist wrapped around my cock."_

 _He laughs at his own joke while I watch the woman eye Jake as she sits next to him. "Shhh!" I say to him and move a table closer to the bar. Straining my ears, I can just barely make out what she says to him._

 _"Hey. Twice in one day." She murmurs with a flick of her hair. "Do you remember me from the grocery store?"_

 _Jake looks up from the beer in his hands, and his eyes widen at the woman. "Uh, yeah. I remember you." He gives her a smile and then takes another sip of his beer._

 _"I see you bought the magazine." She says, tapping her finger on the one he had in his hands when he came barreling in._

 _"Yeah." Is all he says in response before chugging the rest of his beer._

 _"Rough day, huh?" she asks._

 _"You could say that." He looks at the magazine again and then back to her. "You read a lot of these things?"_

 _She seems to blush before answering. "Oh, God. This is so embarrassing, but it's a guilty pleasure of mine. I know it's stupid, but I love to read about the drama, and the love lives of the rich and famous."_

 _"Do you know a lot about this guy and her?" He looks at the magazine again._

 _Ugh. I wish I could see what's on the front of that damn magazine!_

 _"Only what they've printed." She answers, fluttering her eyelashes at him._

 _"What have they printed?"_

 _"Well, that guy was named the most eligible bachelor last year. He's this brilliant businessman and just happens to be incredibly sexy as well. That girl is his new girlfriend. They've been seen all over Seattle, and there were rumors that someone caught them making out in a corner at a charity event. Looking at that picture on this magazine, I'd say it wouldn't be a stretch to believe they'd do something like that. They look as if they're about ready to rip each other's clothes off while there's a party going on in the background."_

 _She giggles then and nudges him. "Why do you ask? You don't seem like the type to care about celebrities."_

 _"I'm not." He says and shoves the magazine away._

 _It's quiet for a moment before she speaks. "Do you mind if I sit here for a little while and chat with you? I'm supposed to be meeting someone for a blind date, and I'm a little early."_

 _"I don't mind." He says, giving her a small smile. "It'll help me keep my mind off my shitty day. I'm about to get properly drunk, though. I hope you don't mind."_

 _"Don't say that." She says, reaching over and placing her hand on his arm. "How will you drive me home if you're drunk?"_

 _Jake seems taken back for a moment before he laughs. "Yeah. Right. I'm sure your date would love that."_

 _"Can you do something for me? A favor?" She leans in, and so do I, desperate to hear what she's going to say to him. "If my date gets here and I don't like how he looks, will you pretend to be my boyfriend so I can play dumb and act like I'm not who he's looking for?"_

 _Jake's glassy eyes slowly move over her perfect form, lingering on her ample cleavage before giving her a smile. "Only if you buy my next beer."_

 _"It's a deal." She says, scooting closer to him and flagging down the bartender._

 _I get up from the table and move back to where Garrett is. "You looked like a total creeper, dude." He says as I take my seat._

 _"I'm just surprised, that's all," I say watching as the beautiful woman throws her head back in laughter. "I thought he was engaged, but when that woman started coming onto him, he didn't mention it."_

 _"You said you didn't know him that well. Maybe they broke up, and you just don't know." Garrett offers._

 _"Maybe," I say, picking up my own beer and drinking half. "If that's true, I should give Alice a call to set me up with his ex. She's gorgeous."_

 _Almost two hours later, when the woman leans over, grabbing Jake's thigh and surprising him with a kiss, I'm not all that shocked. I've watched as the two of them slowly got more handsy. Jake had only had two more beers and seemed to be tipsy. He was definitely not drunk but was certainly buzzed. It would take a lot more to get someone his size drunk. The woman, on the other hand, only had one drink the whole time. She only took the tiniest of sips here and there and nursed it for their entire conversation._

 _At first, Jake pulls back, seemingly shocked. When she slides her hand further up his thigh and leans in for another kiss, he stiffens for a few moments before relaxing and returning her advances._

 _"What does he have that I don't?" Garrett says, nodding at the two of them who are now grabbing at each other. I watch as he palms her ass and pulls her closer. "She should have her hands all over me. Not that sad looking bastard."_

 _"Maybe he's got a big dick. His last girlfriend was also incredibly gorgeous. A definite ten." I think about how I used to beat off to fantasies of Bella and my cock jumps._

 _Yep, definitely giving Alice a call soon._

 _"Don't chicks know that it's all about how you work it and not how big it is?" he whines._

 _"Of course, you would say that. Yours is the size of a tootsie roll."_

 _He glares at me before flipping me off. I can't help but laugh._

 _"You're an ass, Peter."_

 _"Sometimes," I say._

 _When Jake and the woman get up and leave, holding hands and giggling, I turn my attention back to the waitress. "Twenty bucks says I can get the waitress' number."_

 _Garrett grins before shaking my hand. "Fifty says I get her number."_

 _"May the best man win."_

When I'm done telling my story, Bella has streaks of tears running down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Bella."

She brings a hand up and angrily wipes away the wetness from her face. "Are you sure it was Jake?"

"I…uh…" I reach in my pocket and pull out my phone. "I know this may sound creepy, but I took a picture of him and the woman. You know, just in case of…something."

* * *

 **Bella**

I watch as he taps on his phone for a moment, pulling up the picture before handing it to me. When he does, my stomach drops to the floor. "Oh my God."

 _That's Tanya. The beautiful woman Jake cheated with is Edward's ex._

"That's Tanya. Edward's ex." I say, looking at Jake and how his hand is gripping her thigh. She's practically sitting in his lap.

"That's his ex?" Alice says, grabbing the phone.

"I feel like I'm missing something," Jasper says from Alice's other side. "Who's Edward?"

"I'll tell you later," Alice says, dismissing him.

"He cheated on me, Alice." My stomach is still at my feet when the churning starts. I take the phone back and stare at the picture again. "After eight years together."

"He may not have gone through with it." Alice offers. "Peter didn't follow them out of the bar to see what happened."

Her voice trails off as I stare at the screen of Peter's phone.

I know Chelsea is behind this. She was the only one who knew about the contract; knew about Jake. She must have given the information to Tanya, and she then went after Jake to hurt me.

 _Well, it worked._

It feels as if all the air has been sucked out of my lungs and I somehow can't manage to take a deep breath. I've never felt so utterly betrayed and heartbroken, but at the same time…oddly relieved.

"Can you send this picture to me?" I ask, looking up at Peter and handing him his phone back.

"Of course."

"I've got to go," I say as I stand.

"Bella, are you sure you're okay to drive?" Alice asks, tugging on my shoulder and spinning me around. This action causes me to realize I can barely see her through the tears in my eyes. I angrily wipe them away and give her a vigorous nod. "I'll be fine."

She lets me go then, and I'm out the door in less than a minute and climbing into my truck. Once I am backing out of the driveway, I hear a ping from my phone indicating I've gotten a text.

The next twenty minutes driving back to Port Angeles is filled with angry screams and controlled sobs. I have to pull over once to dry my face and blow my nose…and maybe punch the steering wheel a few times.

When my truck screeches to a halt in the driveway of the new rental house, I waste no time in hopping out and stomping my way up the path to the door. "Bella, baby! You're home." I hear Jake yell enthusiastically when I step inside.

The moment I round the corner into the kitchen where he is, I see Billy and him making sandwiches. Billy notices my face first and grabs Jake's arm to get him to look up. "Bella, honey, what's wrong?" his father asks.

Jake finally looks up. Once his eyes find mine, the easy-going smile on his lips dies. "Bella!" he calls out, dropping the butter knife in his hand. "What happened?"

"You!" I scream. "You happened!" Once he's close, I reach out and push him away from me and dig my phone from my pocket. "You fucking cheated on me!" I pull up the picture and shove the phone in his face.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Billy says, rolling over to us. "My boy would never cheat on you. He's a good man. Let's not forget you just admitting to kissing someone else."

The cold, hard glare I turn on him is enough to physically shock him. His eyes widen, and he leans back in his chair. "This is _none of your business_ , old man. Go to your damn room!" My cold and clipped tone gets my point across, and he turns, rolling away after giving me a dirty look.

"Where did you get this picture?" Jake says. I look up to see the color has drained from his face and he's frozen with disbelief.

"Jasper's cousin Peter was there in the bar that night. You obviously didn't recognize him." I snatch my phone back, and he finally makes eye contact with me. "When you called Alice to ask her to plan a _surprise_ wedding for me," I spit the word out with disgust, "Peter was there visiting. When she told Jasper what you had called for, Peter was surprised, to say the least, considering he saw you leave the bar with Tanya!"

"How the fuck do you know her name?" he screeches at me.

"That's what you want to say? You want to ask me how I know her name?"

He shakes his head, finally coming out of the shock of me knowing, and tries to step closer. I purposefully take a bigger step back. "Bella, baby, I swear I didn't sleep with her."

"Liar!" I yell, wiping at the tears pouring from my eyes. "Eight years, Jake!"

"I swear on my mother I didn't sleep with her." He says more adamantly.

"Then what did you do? Play tick-tack-toe? Peter said the two of you were groping each other the whole way out of the bar."

Jake looks a little green as he looks away from me. "I swear I didn't sleep with her." He reiterates.

"Just spit it out, Jake!" I scream.

"Fuck!" he yells, grabbing fistfuls of his own hair and tugging violently. "Isn't it good enough to know I didn't sleep with her?"

"Jacob Black! I deserve to know what happened!

"Are you sure you want to know?" he asks, looking at me and reminding me of when my mom was about to tell me my dog had died when I was nine. I give him a tight nod, and he sighs heavily, leaning back on the kitchen counter, a few tears slipping from his eyes. "Can I first start out by saying I was drunk?"

"Sure, but no matter how drunk I've ever been, I've never developed amnesia and forgotten I was in a relationship. That excuse is pathetic."

"I know," he says sadly, wiping more tears from his face and looking at his feet. "She wanted to go back to my place, but it had been a while, and…we didn't make it that far." He grimaces and stops for a moment, swallowing hard before again speaking. "We got in the back of my truck and…I used my fingers on her." For a moment, his breath shudders with quiet sobs, and I wait patiently for him to continue. "She then gave me a blow job, and I reciprocated, giving her oral."

I don't realize I'm throwing things until he ducks and then catches the picture I tore from the wall. "You think just because you didn't put your dick in her that it makes it better? That it means you didn't cheat?"

"No, no. That's not what I'm saying at all." He waves his hands in front of him and tries to come closer to me. The tears in his eyes blur his vision, and he stumbles over a shoe I threw at him. My heart catches in my throat when I realize what I'm about to do.

"I can't…do this anymore, Jake. I can't keep being the only adult in the relationship." I say. The fear in his eyes almost breaks me as he hangs on to my every word. "You are constantly doing things behind my back without asking me, and you never take what I say or want into consideration. You don't listen to me, _at all_. You used all the money _I_ earned, buying a garage in only _your name_ after planning for years to do all this togethe _r_. _Together,_ Jacob. My name was _nowhere_ on any paperwork! You know that's illegal, right? Taking my money and buying something in only your name.

"The rental home, new truck, garage…all of it was bought with money specifically paid to me, and me alone, in the contract. You wasted money paying for a lawyer instead of just waiting for me to get back. You wasted money buying an unnecessary vehicle. You moved your dad in with us even after I specifically said I didn't want you to. Then, to top it all off, you called Alice to throw away even more of my money for a wedding I don't want. Even before I found out you cheated, I wasn't sure that I still wanted to marry you after everything you did! Jake...not once, did you take what I wanted into consideration.

"I have done so much – sacrificed _so much_ – to help make _your_ dream come true, that I forgot about myself in the process. I have been compromising what I truly want for years just to make you happy. I lied to myself when my feelings started to change towards you. I turned into who you wanted me to be instead of who _I_ wanted to be. I didn't realize that until this past month when I was away from you. I noticed how much I censored what I was thinking and what I did, all because I had programmed myself to worry about what I thought _you_ wanted first. That is so completely messed up."

"What are you saying, Bella?" He says. "I don't understand."

"I'm saying that it's over. I can't…I love you, Jake, but I'm not in love with you. At least not anymore. You cheating…that was the final straw. Maybe we could have fixed what was wrong with us, but after this…" I hold up my phone, "I just don't want to."

He hurries over to me and drops to his knees. "Please, Bella. I'm so sorry. I swear it will never happen, ever again. I fucking _hate_ myself for it." He tries to grab my hand, but I pull it away. "We _can_ fix this. I love you so much. Please, _please_ don't leave."

"You did this to yourself, Jake. None of this would have happened if you had just listened to me. I told you I didn't want to sign the contract; didn't want to spend the month with Edward. But you pushed and pushed until I gave you what you wanted. I just hope you're happy now. I hope all the things you have now – the pretty house, the nice truck, the garage – I hope it was worth losing me."

"Don't go." He says his voice shaky and his eyes wide with disbelief over what is happening.

I just shake my head at him as I back away. Tears form two rivers down my face. I can't wipe them away fast enough. "Goodbye, Jake." When I get to the door, I turn around and give him a sad, broken smile. "Oh, and by the way, I passed the bar. Not that you cared enough to ask, or anything."

He tries to scramble up from his knees quickly but falters, falling onto all fours for a moment while I slip out the front door. I'm already in my truck when he makes it outside, and I push down the lock so he can't open the truck door. When he starts to pound on the window, screaming he loves me and begging me not to go, I ignore him and back out of the driveway as he clings to the side of the truck. When I'm on the road, I scream without looking at him to let go of my door. He does after a few moments, and then I'm driving away, leaving the past eight years behind.

* * *

 _Bella has finally left Jake! She just needed a little shove to do it. Honestly, she was already halfway out the door anyway, whether she would admit it or not. Do you want to thank Chelsea - or Tanya - for what she did or do you want to hurt her? Maybe a little of both?_

 _So...what do you think will happen next? Tell me your theories._

 _As always, thanks so much for reading and don't forget to **follow** and **review!**_


	19. Chapter 19

_Thanks so much for your input and hard work, SunflowerFran. You da best._

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

* * *

 **Edward**

Looking out over the expansive forest below my bedroom, I can't help but remember how I used to think it was beautiful. Hell, maybe it still is. After all, my vision is starting to blur while I sip on my third glass of whiskey since ten this morning. But I think it has more to do with the fact that I can no longer see the beauty of anything after since Bella left.

"Come sit down," Emmett says, motioning me over to the two chairs in the corner that face the glass wall.

Not really caring where I sulk, I move and sit beside him. My Van Morrison playlist is on repeat, and I'm hoping it will help me feel better. It's been playing for hours, and all I've managed to do is cry like a sad little girl. When Emmett called yesterday to ask if Bella and I wanted to go to the movies with him and Rose, I completely lost it. Since then, he's been here, trying his best to keep my head above water, so I don't drown in absolute misery.

After a long while, he looks over at me, and I quickly wipe away the tear rolling down my cheek. "Are you ready to talk about what happened?" His voice is soft, and he's clearly wary of my response. It's the first time he's asked me since I told him Bella left. That was all I was able to get out before my pathetic sobs cut off my words.

"The only reason she was living here was because she had broken up with her ex and had nowhere to go," I say, taking a sip of my whiskey. "Even though we were living together, we hadn't said 'I love you' to each other or anything even remotely like that." My heart constricts in my chest, cutting off my air for a moment. "I told her I loved her too soon. We got into a stupid argument, and she went to leave and I just…panicked. I told her I loved her and she just…shut down. I think I…it scared her hearing it from me that way."

"She left after that, and you haven't heard from her since?" he asks sounding confused.

I don't blame him.

"No. And I don't think I will."

"Have you tried to call her?" he asks.

I shake my head. "No. It's complicated."

"It's not _that_ complicated. Just call her."

"If she loved me, she would have said it back, Emmett. She would have called. Don't you get that?" I look over at him and see pity in his eyes. "She doesn't love me."

I look back out the window and try to stop the quivering in my chin. I can't cry anymore. My eyes hurt too much as it is. I haven't slept more than a few hours a night since she drove away, and I haven't even left the house. I'm a sorry looking fucker, and I can see in Emmett's eyes just how worried he is for me. They keep darting down to the black circles under my eyes and to my cheeks that have hollowed some since I haven't been eating.

Unfortunately, I lose the battle for control of my eyes, and a few more tears roll down my cheeks. I'm powerless to stop them.

Thankfully, he knows when to shut up, and we sit in silence. I can see him glance my way a few times from the corner of my vision and each time he does, it makes my heart hurt more. I'm worrying him because I've always been the cool and collected one; the one who isn't bothered by much and hasn't cried since Maggie died. Well, I hadn't until now. Now, it's like a damn has broken and I don't know how to put it back together and stop the floodgates.

I don't know how much time passes before I think I hear Bella's old truck out front. I rally against my traitorous, wishful thinking brain and heart and clench my jaw, angry at myself for the hope I still have buried deep inside, knowing it's useless.

 _It's been six days since she left._

When I think I hear my front door open, I clench my fists, wanting to punch myself for carrying on like this. That is until Emmett looks behind him and towards my bedroom door like he heard the same thing I did.

I look over at him, and his wide brows are furrowed in confusion. "You expecting anyone?" he asks.

Before I can formulate that what I heard was probably real, I hear Bella's voice call out, and my head whips to my bedroom door like Emmett's does.

"Edward?"

The music is a bit on the loud side, so I'm not sure I heard it or imagined it…or maybe both.

When I look back to Emmett, there is a small grin tugging at the right corner of his mouth.

"Edward!" I hear her voice again, and this time, my body reacts on instinct.

I jump up and bolt to my bedroom door, bracing my hand against the frame and pivoting myself toward the sound of her voice. Once I get a few steps out of my room and see Bella standing at the beginning of the hallway, wearing jean shorts and her old, Foo Fighter's T-shirt, looking a little wild-eyed, I briefly consider that I may be hallucinating before quickly dismissing the thought.

I realize my memories of her beauty didn't do her justice now that she's standing in front of me.

But, just to make sure… "Bella?" I ask, praying that she's real and she'll say something to prove it.

* * *

 **Bella**

It takes two solid hours to stop my crying over Jake. It's as if I've left a completely different Bella behind - the only one I've known for eight years. I feel lighter, not as burdened, and it's a strange sensation. But no matter how light, or upset I am, there is only one thought occupying my mind.

 _Edward._

When I pull up to the gate of his home, I stick my hand through the window and pray I still have access. I press my thumb to the keypad, and when the gate opens, I breathe a sigh of relief.

It takes a few minutes to make it all the way up the driveway, and when I see the house, I don't bother driving around to the garage. Instead, I stop in front and jump out, running up the few steps to the door.

Once there, I freeze, suddenly unsure of how he will react to seeing me. What if he hates me for leaving the way I did?

The thought of his rejection is crippling.

 _No. Stop it. Stop thinking about that._

Without any more hesitation, I press my thumb to the pad next to the door and step inside. The most overwhelming feeling of being home encompasses me, deep down to my soul. The view out of the back window, the kitchen over to the left, the couch that completely devours you when you sit on it…all of it is like a balm to my aching heart.

I turn my head and strain my ears when I think I hear music. Taking a few steps down the hall to the right towards his room, Van Morrison croons at me, and I know he's home. He loves Van Morrison. He even played Brown Eyed Girl for me on the piano at least ten times.

"Edward!" I call out, pausing in the hall. I've never seen his room. It was always closed, and I never asked to see it, so I hesitate to go and looking for him there. "Edward!" I call again, afraid that he didn't hear me over the music.

I hear some shuffling and then his door swings wide. He seems anxious and agitated, his eyes frantic as he looks around for a moment before his gaze lands on me. The dark circles under his eyes and stubble on his jaw break my heart, along with the whiskey glass in his hand. The black t-shirt and old jeans he's wearing are a far cry from anything I've seen him in before. He looks as if he's had a really rough time this past week.

 _And yet, he is still the most beautiful creature I've ever seen._

"Bella?" he whispers, shocked.

"I love you, too, Edward." I spit out, wanting that to be the first thing he hears me say. I catch a glimpse of Emmett leaving his room, smiling in my direction before he slips out of the door by Edward's room. When Edward continues to stand there not moving or saying anything, worry wraps itself around my heart. "I'm sorry I didn't say it back, but I hadn't let myself truly admit it to myself until today."

"Why are you apologizing?" he says, finally unfreezing from his shock.

I swallow as he takes a few slow steps toward me. "Because I was an idiot."

"Shhh." He says, a small smile playing around the edges of his lips. "Don't talk about the woman I love like that."

My heart leaps and flips in my chest while the rest of my body sings; my nerve endings calling out to touch him. The smile on my lips beckons him forward.

"Come here," I say.

Blazing determination fills his eyes as he moves toward me. When he's within arm's reach, he wraps one hand around the back of my neck, the other around my waist, and he crashes his lips against mine, tasting of high-end whiskey. The glass he was holding falls to the floor somewhere behind me and shatters, but I don't care.

The sun bursts behind my eyelids when I finally am able to kiss him freely like this, without any hesitation. I feel as if I'm having an out of body experience as my lips move with his, my heart growing wings and soaring, carrying the both of us away into pure bliss.

 _I'm home. Edward is my home_.

I'll never be able to live without him again after kissing him like this. The feeling inside of me right now is the best thing anyone in the history of the world has ever felt.

 _I've been so stupid._

Hungry little moans make their way out of the both of us. When I open my mouth for him, his tongue meets mine and ignites a fire deep in my belly. When I have to pull back to breathe, I whisper, "I love you." Over and over and over again.

A giddy little laugh escapes his lips, and he rests his forehead against mine. "I've loved you since the first moment I saw you. My love only grew from that moment on." He leans away and pulls my face up, connecting our eyes. "I love you _so_ much. That's what I told you at Maggie's charity ball when I asked you to close your eyes. It's what I've whispered under my breath every time I saw you and every time we've parted. You are _everything_ to me. I can no longer live without you. Not after this."

"And I've been so stubborn." I laugh a little at how incredibly hard I resisted admitting I was in love with him. "I think I've loved you since the first time we danced together at the Musical Children's Ball." I reach up and press my lips gently to his. "You are my everything, and I cannot, no… _will not_ , live without you any longer."

"But I don't understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you're here – this is the best moment of my life – but what happened?" He reaches up and touches my puffy eyes.

"I was so stubborn. I refused to admit to myself that I wasn't happy anymore; that I had lost myself over the years. I didn't want to admit failure and have to tell everyone how I hated the direction my life had taken, and I hated the person I had become. I especially didn't want to admit I didn't love Jake anymore. Earlier today, when I found out he had cheated on me ... well, that pushed me over the edge and made me realize I couldn't deny what I felt anymore."

His eyes briefly turn worried and angry, but he allows me to continue speaking without asking about Jake's infidelity.

"You brought me back to life, Edward - woke me up from being on autopilot." I pull my face up to his, looking into his eyes. "You saw the real, true me, deep inside, and you pulled it out. And now that I'm here, in your arms, allowing myself to feel what I truly feel, I'm free. Free and utterly happy and irrevocably in love with you. Until now, I never believed in soulmates."

His beautiful face lights up with a smile before pulling my lips slowly to his. Our kiss is slow and sweet, both of us savoring every emotion pouring out from the other. "So, you're here to stay?" he asks, resting his forehead against mine. "I don't think I could survive you leaving again, my perfect soulmate."

I run my hand along his face and down his neck. "I'm here to stay as long as you'll have me."

"Forever it is, then." He whispers, kissing me once more.

His beatific smile when we break apart drives me insane, and then I am practically climbing him. "Take me to bed, Edward. Make love to me. Make me yours."

He hesitates for only a moment then moves faster than lighting to pick me up. I wrap my legs around his waist as he grabs my ass and pulls me tightly to his body. Our lips never leave each other as he walks us to his room. He kicks the door open, and Van Morrison's voice crooning out of the speaker by his bed surrounds us. I can't help but pull back, gasping at the two walls of glass that make up half his room. It's almost exactly like his piano room. "It's beautiful, Edward," I whisper.

"It's nothing compared to you."

When I look back to his beautiful bright green eyes, I can see every little emotion just simmering under the surface. The intensity in them takes my breath away.

He lowers both of us to his bed, gently laying me down and hovering over the top of me. "You sure?" he asks.

"Yes," I say, running my fingers through his hair. It's something I've wanted since I first saw him. It feels so incredible to be able to do it now. "Please, don't make me wait any longer."

His green eyes darken, and then he's kissing me. His feverish attack of my mouth pulls moan after moan from me. I wiggle under him, rolling my hips up to his, feeling his growing excitement.

 _God, it feels so good to touch him wherever I want._

My hands travel around him and down his back, grabbing his luscious ass and giving it a good squeeze. He pulls back and smirks down at me. "So, you're an ass woman?"

"No. I'm a ' _you'_ woman."

He growls lowly and then finally, _finally_ , moves his hands from my face. "I love you." He whispers as one hand slides to my side, then down over my hips and to my right leg. He grabs it up high and pulls it, wrapping it around his waist.

When his lips finally leave mine, they travel slowly to my neck, alternating between kissing and nibbling my ultra-sensitive skin. His stubble scratches me as he continues downward, the roughness of it leaving a blazing trail behind. When he's satisfied that my leg will stay put wrapped around his waist, he lets go and brings that hand up to slide under my t-shirt.

The moment his fingertips touch the skin of my abdomen, I let out an almost embarrassingly loud moan. His hand moves higher and ghosts over the top of my bra, caressing my breasts sweetly while he himself moans. Edward swiftly sits up and grabs the hem of my shirt. I lift my arms, and then it's gone, tossed over the side of his bed.

His eyes focus on me in my bra and shorts, and he freezes, admiring me. When his eyes come back to mine, they stay there. I never let go of his gaze as I rise to my knees on his bed, my hands making a slow path to the button of my jean shorts. I pop it open, then shimmy them down my legs, before reaching behind me and slipping them off completely.

Edward mirrors me, getting off the bed to take his shirt off the sexy way men do; grabbing it behind his neck then pulling it over his head. My clit throbs when his abs flex with this motion. Saliva builds in my mouth as he then unbuttons his jeans, shimmying once till they drop to the floor.

When the bulge in his underwear is fully visible, I gasp. I've only ever seen one penis in person and had sex with that same one numerous times. While I am nervous, I'm also so incredibly sure that this is what I want at the same time. But seeing his sizeable…manhood…makes this very real, very fast.

 _He's a good bit bigger than…_ _And fuck, do I want it._

After staring at the bulge longer than necessary, I reach around behind me and unclasp my bra. Our eyes connect again as the piece of lingerie falls away and then it's his turn to gasp. His eyes reluctantly move to my bare chest, his Adam's apple bobbing with a hard swallow.

This is all he can take as he moves back onto the bed, pulling my chest against his. We both sigh with relief at the contact. Both of us only in our underwear, I can feel almost everything he has to offer, and my nails dig into his back as I almost go crazy with the lust pulsing through me.

"I'm still on birth control," I say before I forget. I want to feel _him_.

"I wouldn't care if you weren't. I want you to have my babies."

My heart swells, and then he is laying me down slowly, our lips seemingly connected with glue as they never separate. His tongue expertly caresses mine for a long moment before he finally pulls away and kisses a path down my neck and onto my chest. He slows his movement, his tongue peeking out from his lips as it drags in slow motion on my skin, right to the peak of my right breast. My fingers thread in his hair and pull. I'm unable to help it – having to grab onto something – after the way his tongue rubs over my nipple.

He takes his time, making sure to bite, lick, and suck it until it's hard as a rock before moving to the other one and repeating the process. "Edward." I sigh when he starts to move lower. His lips trail down my abdomen, softly kissing almost every inch. When he gets to the hem of my panties, he dips the tips of his fingers under them, skimming along the expanse of my hips.

He then hooks his fingers into the waistband, and I'm lifting my hips for him to pull them off. His lips follow them, lovingly kissing down my legs slowly before reaching my feet. Once my underwear is gone, and he is on his knees in between my legs, a little bit of stage fright hits me.

"You're more beautiful than I ever imagined." He whispers, looking down at me, his eyes moving up my body and connecting with my eyes.

My eyes well with tears for a moment before I sit up and kiss him, my hands sliding over his pecks and abs, stopping at his boxers. One of my hands has a mind of its own and rubs him over his underwear while he groans into my mouth.

When I start to pull them down, he helps, kicking them off, and I pull away from his lips. Looking down at him, I suddenly feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

 _Even his cock is perfect._

Long, but not too long. Thick, but not too thick. It's definitely the biggest one I've ever seen, and it's pointing right at me.

His fingers pull my face back to his as we lay back, his body pressing mine into the mattress. We are completely naked and together for the first time and the tingling sensation I always feel when I touch him explodes across the whole expanse of my skin. My heart beats frantically in my chest, celebrating that I'm here with Edward. A few more tears slip from my eyes as the feeling almost overwhelms me. "I love you so much, Edward. Make love to me."

He kisses away my tears and lines up his perfect cock with my core. I'm dripping wet with anticipation. "I love you, Bella." He says as he pushes inside me.

I throw my head back, my eyes closing, and a delicious sound comes from the back of my throat. I can feel just how tightly I am squeezing his thick cock.

Edward shudders when he's pushed into me all the way to the base of his shaft. "You feel so amazing." He whispers. "In every way imaginable."

I open my eyes to find him staring down at me. We both smile at each other and lean in for a kiss. When he pulls back and locks eyes with me, he starts to move.

"Nnnggghhh!" I cry out wordlessly. There are no words to describe not only how he feels sliding in and out of my wet pussy, but also how my heart and soul feel so utterly connected to him. I've never felt anything so powerful before.

"Edward," I whisper. My hands reach around him and find his muscular back. My fingers dig into his flesh trying to somehow get him closer to me. "I love you so much."

"Say it again." He says, looking into my eyes with so much adoration.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." I chant. He silences me with a passionate kiss that would have made my knees buckle if I had been standing. When he pulls away after a long minute, he rises and places his hands on either side of my head. My legs spread wider, and the moment he slams into me from this new angle, I literally scream with pleasure.

I can feel the head of his cock rubbing along my g-spot as he thrusts in and out of me. From the look on his face and the deep moan that pushes its way out of his mouth, I'd say he likes this new position just as much as I do.

"Baby, keep doing that," I say on shaky breaths.

"Look at me." He whispers. I open my eyes and see him holding himself above me, looking like every fantasy I ever had about him. "I want to see your eyes as I make love to you."

I nod and bite my lip, trying to stop myself from screaming. The way I feel about him, the way his touch makes my body feel, the way he's loving me right now…I'm in heaven. Everything about him and this moment is so good; so perfect.

 _It feels too good. I don't think I can take much more._

"Fuck." He moans. I can tell he doesn't have much longer till he loses the battle to hold off coming. "You feel too amazing. So incredible."

The tension in my stomach builds fast as I watch him lose himself in my body. "Don't stop. I'm…so close."

He slams into me even harder causing me to cry out. When his new, demanding thrusts keep coming, over and over and over again, I scream. The pleasure builds higher and higher…and then I am coming. I come so hard that the walls of my pussy actually push him out of me. He immediately pushes back in, and I shudder even harder as my orgasm intensifies.

Wave after wave of pleasure rolls through me, my toes curling painfully and my breathing stutters until I'm gasping for air as I come down.

"Bella," Edward whispers and then he's coming, grunting ferally as he empties himself inside me. My hands run all over his body as he shakes apart.

When he finally stops spasming, he opens his eyes and smiles at me, taking deep breaths to slow his heart rate.

After a few more seconds, he lies beside me and pulls my mouth to his, kissing me slowly and sweetly for a very long time. There is so much love in every little lick and nip of his lips on mine. His hands can't seem to stay away from me – caressing my side and trailing over the peaks of my breasts – much like my hands on him, too.

"I still can't believe you're here." He says, looking deep into my eyes with awe.

I smile at him, my hand cupping his face. "I'm sorry it took me so long. I have been known to be pretty stubborn at times."

He laughs then, sounding so carefree and happy. It's music to my ears. "I would have waited decades for you."

I know." I lean in and kiss his beautiful mouth. "I'm just glad I finally came to my senses. I would have missed all this...feeling this indescribable sense of…happiness. No, exaltation. Pure bliss."

Every adjective I try out seems to fall short of how I feel.

He smiles hugely at me. "I feel the same way. Like I couldn't possibly be any happier, ever, than I am right now. I've dreamed of this - of you - for what seems like forever. And don't even get me started on how it feels to have you naked in my arms. You are more beautiful than any fantasy my imagination ever was able to conjure up."

"You are too," I say, thinking about when I masturbated in the shower and called out his name. My fantasy Edward was sorely lacking compared to the real thing. "You remember when I called your name when I was in the shower? You came running, and I told you I thought I saw a spider."

"Yeah. You said it was a button." He furrows his brows adorably as if he was confused. "But I don't remember any of your clothing having black buttons. And with how much I was staring at you, I memorized every piece of your clothing."

I laugh, my breasts jiggling and catching his eyes. "Well…I was actually masturbating in the shower while thinking about you. When I orgasmed, I called out your name and, well, you came running."

His eyes widen almost comically. "You were?" I bite my lip and nod, smiling at his happy face. "Yes!" he yells, punching the air above him excitedly. "That is so hot." He proves that by pushing his hardening cock into my lower abdomen.

And suddenly, I want my fantasy to come true. I want every single fantasy I've ever had – which truthfully, I've had more than I can count - of him to come true. There has been this huge buildup of sexual tension this whole month, and I need to let it all out.

 _I want, no need, to be fucked by him._

"Now that we've made love," I look straight into his eyes so he'll see the desire in mine. "I want you to fuck me. Make me forget my own name. Make my fantasies about us come true."

When his eyes darken two shades of green, his jaw flexing with blazing desire and determination, my clit throbs painfully hard. He crashes his mouth against mine and shoves his tongue inside.

I moan at the intensity of the blazing kiss and the way it turns my insides into an inferno. He kicks his leg over my body, raising himself and hovering above me. When he pulls away from my mouth, I gasp wildly for air. Edward dips down and starts nipping and kissing a white-hot path down to my tits. He sucks and flicks my nipple with his tongue while he pinches and pulls the other one with his strong fingers. I cry out, not knowing what to do with how turned on I am.

After a long time passes, I start begging for him to move lower, knowing if he does to my clit what he did to my breasts, he'll have me coming in a matter of seconds. "Edward, I can't…mmmm…lick me. _Please_." I roll my hips to show him what I mean, and he growls.

"I thought you'd never ask." He wastes no time in dragging his tongue down to my center, immediately attacking my clit with his tongue.

I scream with pure ecstasy, my head thrashing from side to side as my body is shocked by the pleasure he's giving me. My hands fist the sheets under me, needing to grab _something_ to ground myself to the real world.

I don't think it can get any better until he slides two fingers into my slick pussy. My hips involuntarily thrust upwards, and he growls, and the vibration from his voice on my clit is euphoric. I scream out again as his one free hand pushes my hips back down to the bed. "You taste so fucking incredible." He says, his hot breath blowing over me and sending shivers through my skin and straight to my bones.

He curls his long, dexterous, pianist's finger inside me only a few times before I'm worked into a frenzy. My head is rolling from side to side, my fingers digging a hole in his bedding, and my breath is whooshing in and out in short gasps.

Like I predicted, he has me coming in no time. My entire body, from my scalp to my curled toes, roils with burning, undiluted pleasure. It feels like my whole body is orgasming, the incredible feeling radiating from every nerve ending like a never-ending tsunami. I shudder over and over again as his fingers and tongue never stop their mission to give me the most mind-shattering orgasm anyone has ever had.

I don't know how much time has passed – possibly a year and three days – before I finally start to come down. My body feeling like rightfully-fucked jelly. Breathing like I just ran a marathon, I grab his face from between my legs, pull it up to mine and lick my own juices from his lips. He moans wantonly at my action.

It's something I've never done before. I've never tasted myself and never wanted to, until now. The combination of my arousal and Edward is now my new favorite taste. When I shove my tongue in his mouth, he groans and returns everything I give him.

I buck my hips and kick my leg until he rolls over, and I'm on top. "Tell me you want me to suck your cock," I say my voice rough with desire. He's finding out I have a dirty mouth when having sex.

He looks at me with a raging fire behind his eyes. " _Fuck_ , Bella. I've imagined that _so many times_." He swallows quickly after licking his lips. "Suck it, baby. Don't make me wait any longer."

I give him a crooked smirk and then kiss a blazing path down his chest. When I finally get to his swollen cock, sliding in between his legs, I sigh with relief.

 _Yes!_

My tongue comes out and licks him from his base to his tip, flicking over his head before I wrap my mouth around him. He yells out in pleasure I as slowly suck him in, sliding lower and lower until his head is shoved into the top of my throat. His hips jerk upwards involuntarily while his hand comes to rest on the back of my head.

"Mmmm," I say as I slide back off. "You feel so good in my mouth." He growls, and once again, I slide my back down. "Bella." He whispers wantonly. When I wrap my hand around his base and move it in time with my lips, he jumps, his cock twitching in my mouth. I can feel his head swell and it drives me wild.

I speed up the bobbing of my head, shoving him further and further down my throat, loving it when I make myself gag. He's jerking and twitching with pleasure, causing my pussy to clench with desire. I squeeze my legs together, hoping the little bit of friction that comes from it with help with the pulsing.

It doesn't.

When I add a twisting motion to my hand, he yelps and thrusts upwards. "Fuck, you gotta stop and let me fuck you."

I pull off him with a pop and wipe away the bit of his pre-cum from my lips. He sits up and pulls my mouth to his, kissing me passionately and deeply, both of us moaning the whole time.

When we pull apart, his eyes and mine are crazy with lust, and we're breathing raggedly as he growls out, "I love you so fucking much."

"I love you too."

Our bodies seem entirely in tune with one another as no words are spoken, and yet we move perfectly in sync. He rolls us over, and I bring one leg up to his shoulder, his arm already waiting to hold it in its place, locking it there when he puts his hand by my ear.

When he pushes inside of me, spreading me wide for the second time today, I scream out and close my eyes, the pleasure too much for me to handle with how sensitive my pussy is. He pulls back and slams into me, pushing so far and deep inside that I'm sure I can feel him in my throat. I turn my head to the side and have to gently nip at his arm to keep from biting off my own lip.

 _It's too much pleasure for one person to bear._

"You like that, baby?" He asks, his voice, pure sex, and I nod. "How does my cock feel?"

"Fuck!" I scream when he slams into me, my tits bouncing roughly. "Amazing!"

"I love hearing those dirty words come from your sweet mouth." He slams into me impossibly harder, grunting in his own pleasure. The juices coming from my pussy create the most erotic sound as he fucks me. That combined with his moans and curses of ecstasy slipping from his perfect mouth, and I am in heaven. Sex filled, dirty talking, heaven.

"Your…pussy….nnnggghh." he says, his eyes fluttering closed as his head flies backward. "Shit!"

When he pulls my other leg up to the rest on his other shoulder, that does it for me. He's relentless in the power of his thrusts. Long, deep, steady, and unbelievably forceful.

"Baby, I'm…keep fucking me. Right there." I manage to get the words from my mouth before speech becomes impossible. When I start to come...again…my walls clamping down on him, he finds his release inside of me. He grunts as I moan, both of our bodies shaking with our mutual orgasms. When his twitching cock finally stills, having nothing more to offer me for the moment, he gasps for air. He's still for a long while, hovering above me and breathing heavily, just like me. When he opens his eyes again, he gives me a gorgeous smile, bending his arms so he can kiss me despite our ragged breathing.

"That was…" I say, stopping when I realize there are no words grand enough to express how I feel. "Earth-shattering."

"I know what you mean." He kisses me again before falling beside me, his cock sliding out and resting on my hip as my legs fall back to the bed. I roll onto my side to face him and snuggle into his chest. His arms wrap around me, and one of my legs slides between his.

Nothing is said for a while, both of us just enjoying the post-coital bliss that lingers in the room. His fingers run the length of my hair while I listen to his heart beating steadily. I never want to leave this spot.

All I do now is bask in the realization that I am now loved unconditionally, and it fills my heart with joy.

* * *

 _Phew! They finally, FINALLY got together! You also got to hear from Edward even though he was really sad. What did you think of how it happened? Would you have done the same?_

 _Also, the Van Morrison songs that I envisioned were Into The Mystic and Tupelo Honey if you're interested in looking them up._

 _www dot youtube dot com / watch?v=cpPSBzGEklE_

 _www dot youtube dot com / watch?v=Eq3YLhtuzTQ_

 _Tell me what you think! Don't forget to **review** and **follow!**_


	20. Chapter 20

**_Okay, everyone. I'm having a hell of a time trying to take down my author's note and put this chapter up. Something is going really wrong so I just decided to try and post chapter 19 as chapter 20 and maybe I can fix the issue later. SO SORRY ABOUT ALL THE CONFUSION!_**

 _Thanks so much for your input and hard work, SunflowerFran. You da best._

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

* * *

 **Edward**

Looking out over the expansive forest below my bedroom, I can't help but remember how I used to think it was beautiful. Hell, maybe it still is. After all, my vision is starting to blur while I sip on my third glass of whiskey since ten this morning. But I think it has more to do with the fact that I can no longer see the beauty of anything after since Bella left.

"Come sit down," Emmett says, motioning me over to the two chairs in the corner that face the glass wall.

Not really caring where I sulk, I move and sit beside him. My Van Morrison playlist is on repeat, and I'm hoping it will help me feel better. It's been playing for hours, and all I've managed to do is cry like a sad little girl. When Emmett called yesterday to ask if Bella and I wanted to go to the movies with him and Rose, I completely lost it. Since then, he's been here, trying his best to keep my head above water, so I don't drown in absolute misery.

After a long while, he looks over at me, and I quickly wipe away the tear rolling down my cheek. "Are you ready to talk about what happened?" His voice is soft, and he's clearly wary of my response. It's the first time he's asked me since I told him Bella left. That was all I was able to get out before my pathetic sobs cut off my words.

"The only reason she was living here was because she had broken up with her ex and had nowhere to go," I say, taking a sip of my whiskey. "Even though we were living together, we hadn't said 'I love you' to each other or anything even remotely like that." My heart constricts in my chest, cutting off my air for a moment. "I told her I loved her too soon. We got into a stupid argument, and she went to leave and I just…panicked. I told her I loved her and she just…shut down. I think I…it scared her hearing it from me that way."

"She left after that, and you haven't heard from her since?" he asks sounding confused.

I don't blame him.

"No. And I don't think I will."

"Have you tried to call her?" he asks.

I shake my head. "No. It's complicated."

"It's not _that_ complicated. Just call her."

"If she loved me, she would have said it back, Emmett. She would have called. Don't you get that?" I look over at him and see pity in his eyes. "She doesn't love me."

I look back out the window and try to stop the quivering in my chin. I can't cry anymore. My eyes hurt too much as it is. I haven't slept more than a few hours a night since she drove away, and I haven't even left the house. I'm a sorry looking fucker, and I can see in Emmett's eyes just how worried he is for me. They keep darting down to the black circles under my eyes and to my cheeks that have hollowed some since I haven't been eating.

Unfortunately, I lose the battle for control of my eyes, and a few more tears roll down my cheeks. I'm powerless to stop them.

Thankfully, he knows when to shut up, and we sit in silence. I can see him glance my way a few times from the corner of my vision and each time he does, it makes my heart hurt more. I'm worrying him because I've always been the cool and collected one; the one who isn't bothered by much and hasn't cried since Maggie died. Well, I hadn't until now. Now, it's like a damn has broken and I don't know how to put it back together and stop the floodgates.

I don't know how much time passes before I think I hear Bella's old truck out front. I rally against my traitorous, wishful thinking brain and heart and clench my jaw, angry at myself for the hope I still have buried deep inside, knowing it's useless.

 _It's been six days since she left._

When I think I hear my front door open, I clench my fists, wanting to punch myself for carrying on like this. That is until Emmett looks behind him and towards my bedroom door like he heard the same thing I did.

I look over at him, and his wide brows are furrowed in confusion. "You expecting anyone?" he asks.

Before I can formulate that what I heard was probably real, I hear Bella's voice call out, and my head whips to my bedroom door like Emmett's does.

"Edward?"

The music is a bit on the loud side, so I'm not sure I heard it or imagined it…or maybe both.

When I look back to Emmett, there is a small grin tugging at the right corner of his mouth.

"Edward!" I hear her voice again, and this time, my body reacts on instinct.

I jump up and bolt to my bedroom door, bracing my hand against the frame and pivoting myself toward the sound of her voice. Once I get a few steps out of my room and see Bella standing at the beginning of the hallway, wearing jean shorts and her old, Foo Fighter's T-shirt, looking a little wild-eyed, I briefly consider that I may be hallucinating before quickly dismissing the thought.

I realize my memories of her beauty didn't do her justice now that she's standing in front of me.

But, just to make sure… "Bella?" I ask, praying that she's real and she'll say something to prove it.

* * *

 **Bella**

It takes two solid hours to stop my crying over Jake. It's as if I've left a completely different Bella behind - the only one I've known for eight years. I feel lighter, not as burdened, and it's a strange sensation. But no matter how light, or upset I am, there is only one thought occupying my mind.

 _Edward._

When I pull up to the gate of his home, I stick my hand through the window and pray I still have access. I press my thumb to the keypad, and when the gate opens, I breathe a sigh of relief.

It takes a few minutes to make it all the way up the driveway, and when I see the house, I don't bother driving around to the garage. Instead, I stop in front and jump out, running up the few steps to the door.

Once there, I freeze, suddenly unsure of how he will react to seeing me. What if he hates me for leaving the way I did?

The thought of his rejection is crippling.

 _No. Stop it. Stop thinking about that._

Without any more hesitation, I press my thumb to the pad next to the door and step inside. The most overwhelming feeling of being home encompasses me, deep down to my soul. The view out of the back window, the kitchen over to the left, the couch that completely devours you when you sit on it…all of it is like a balm to my aching heart.

I turn my head and strain my ears when I think I hear music. Taking a few steps down the hall to the right towards his room, Van Morrison croons at me, and I know he's home. He loves Van Morrison. He even played Brown Eyed Girl for me on the piano at least ten times.

"Edward!" I call out, pausing in the hall. I've never seen his room. It was always closed, and I never asked to see it, so I hesitate to go and looking for him there. "Edward!" I call again, afraid that he didn't hear me over the music.

I hear some shuffling and then his door swings wide. He seems anxious and agitated, his eyes frantic as he looks around for a moment before his gaze lands on me. The dark circles under his eyes and stubble on his jaw break my heart, along with the whiskey glass in his hand. The black t-shirt and old jeans he's wearing are a far cry from anything I've seen him in before. He looks as if he's had a really rough time this past week.

 _And yet, he is still the most beautiful creature I've ever seen._

"Bella?" he whispers, shocked.

"I love you, too, Edward." I spit out, wanting that to be the first thing he hears me say. I catch a glimpse of Emmett leaving his room, smiling in my direction before he slips out of the door by Edward's room. When Edward continues to stand there not moving or saying anything, worry wraps itself around my heart. "I'm sorry I didn't say it back, but I hadn't let myself truly admit it to myself until today."

"Why are you apologizing?" he says, finally unfreezing from his shock.

I swallow as he takes a few slow steps toward me. "Because I was an idiot."

"Shhh." He says, a small smile playing around the edges of his lips. "Don't talk about the woman I love like that."

My heart leaps and flips in my chest while the rest of my body sings; my nerve endings calling out to touch him. The smile on my lips beckons him forward.

"Come here," I say.

Blazing determination fills his eyes as he moves toward me. When he's within arm's reach, he wraps one hand around the back of my neck, the other around my waist, and he crashes his lips against mine, tasting of high-end whiskey. The glass he was holding falls to the floor somewhere behind me and shatters, but I don't care.

The sun bursts behind my eyelids when I finally am able to kiss him freely like this, without any hesitation. I feel as if I'm having an out of body experience as my lips move with his, my heart growing wings and soaring, carrying the both of us away into pure bliss.

 _I'm home. Edward is my home_.

I'll never be able to live without him again after kissing him like this. The feeling inside of me right now is the best thing anyone in the history of the world has ever felt.

 _I've been so stupid._

Hungry little moans make their way out of the both of us. When I open my mouth for him, his tongue meets mine and ignites a fire deep in my belly. When I have to pull back to breathe, I whisper, "I love you." Over and over and over again.

A giddy little laugh escapes his lips, and he rests his forehead against mine. "I've loved you since the first moment I saw you. My love only grew from that moment on." He leans away and pulls my face up, connecting our eyes. "I love you _so_ much. That's what I told you at Maggie's charity ball when I asked you to close your eyes. It's what I've whispered under my breath every time I saw you and every time we've parted. You are _everything_ to me. I can no longer live without you. Not after this."

"And I've been so stubborn." I laugh a little at how incredibly hard I resisted admitting I was in love with him. "I think I've loved you since the first time we danced together at the Musical Children's Ball." I reach up and press my lips gently to his. "You are my everything, and I cannot, no… _will not_ , live without you any longer."

"But I don't understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you're here – this is the best moment of my life – but what happened?" He reaches up and touches my puffy eyes.

"I was so stubborn. I refused to admit to myself that I wasn't happy anymore; that I had lost myself over the years. I didn't want to admit failure and have to tell everyone how I hated the direction my life had taken, and I hated the person I had become. I especially didn't want to admit I didn't love Jake anymore. Earlier today, when I found out he had cheated on me ... well, that pushed me over the edge and made me realize I couldn't deny what I felt anymore."

His eyes briefly turn worried and angry, but he allows me to continue speaking without asking about Jake's infidelity.

"You brought me back to life, Edward - woke me up from being on autopilot." I pull my face up to his, looking into his eyes. "You saw the real, true me, deep inside, and you pulled it out. And now that I'm here, in your arms, allowing myself to feel what I truly feel, I'm free. Free and utterly happy and irrevocably in love with you. Until now, I never believed in soulmates."

His beautiful face lights up with a smile before pulling my lips slowly to his. Our kiss is slow and sweet, both of us savoring every emotion pouring out from the other. "So, you're here to stay?" he asks, resting his forehead against mine. "I don't think I could survive you leaving again, my perfect soulmate."

I run my hand along his face and down his neck. "I'm here to stay as long as you'll have me."

"Forever it is, then." He whispers, kissing me once more.

His beatific smile when we break apart drives me insane, and then I am practically climbing him. "Take me to bed, Edward. Make love to me. Make me yours."

He hesitates for only a moment then moves faster than lighting to pick me up. I wrap my legs around his waist as he grabs my ass and pulls me tightly to his body. Our lips never leave each other as he walks us to his room. He kicks the door open, and Van Morrison's voice crooning out of the speaker by his bed surrounds us. I can't help but pull back, gasping at the two walls of glass that make up half his room. It's almost exactly like his piano room. "It's beautiful, Edward," I whisper.

"It's nothing compared to you."

When I look back to his beautiful bright green eyes, I can see every little emotion just simmering under the surface. The intensity in them takes my breath away.

He lowers both of us to his bed, gently laying me down and hovering over the top of me. "You sure?" he asks.

"Yes," I say, running my fingers through his hair. It's something I've wanted since I first saw him. It feels so incredible to be able to do it now. "Please, don't make me wait any longer."

His green eyes darken, and then he's kissing me. His feverish attack of my mouth pulls moan after moan from me. I wiggle under him, rolling my hips up to his, feeling his growing excitement.

 _God, it feels so good to touch him wherever I want._

My hands travel around him and down his back, grabbing his luscious ass and giving it a good squeeze. He pulls back and smirks down at me. "So, you're an ass woman?"

"No. I'm a ' _you'_ woman."

He growls lowly and then finally, _finally_ , moves his hands from my face. "I love you." He whispers as one hand slides to my side, then down over my hips and to my right leg. He grabs it up high and pulls it, wrapping it around his waist.

When his lips finally leave mine, they travel slowly to my neck, alternating between kissing and nibbling my ultra-sensitive skin. His stubble scratches me as he continues downward, the roughness of it leaving a blazing trail behind. When he's satisfied that my leg will stay put wrapped around his waist, he lets go and brings that hand up to slide under my t-shirt.

The moment his fingertips touch the skin of my abdomen, I let out an almost embarrassingly loud moan. His hand moves higher and ghosts over the top of my bra, caressing my breasts sweetly while he himself moans. Edward swiftly sits up and grabs the hem of my shirt. I lift my arms, and then it's gone, tossed over the side of his bed.

His eyes focus on me in my bra and shorts, and he freezes, admiring me. When his eyes come back to mine, they stay there. I never let go of his gaze as I rise to my knees on his bed, my hands making a slow path to the button of my jean shorts. I pop it open, then shimmy them down my legs, before reaching behind me and slipping them off completely.

Edward mirrors me, getting off the bed to take his shirt off the sexy way men do; grabbing it behind his neck then pulling it over his head. My clit throbs when his abs flex with this motion. Saliva builds in my mouth as he then unbuttons his jeans, shimmying once till they drop to the floor.

When the bulge in his underwear is fully visible, I gasp. I've only ever seen one penis in person and had sex with that same one numerous times. While I am nervous, I'm also so incredibly sure that this is what I want at the same time. But seeing his sizeable…manhood…makes this very real, very fast.

 _He's a good bit bigger than…_ _And fuck, do I want it._

After staring at the bulge longer than necessary, I reach around behind me and unclasp my bra. Our eyes connect again as the piece of lingerie falls away and then it's his turn to gasp. His eyes reluctantly move to my bare chest, his Adam's apple bobbing with a hard swallow.

This is all he can take as he moves back onto the bed, pulling my chest against his. We both sigh with relief at the contact. Both of us only in our underwear, I can feel almost everything he has to offer, and my nails dig into his back as I almost go crazy with the lust pulsing through me.

"I'm still on birth control," I say before I forget. I want to feel _him_.

"I wouldn't care if you weren't. I want you to have my babies."

My heart swells, and then he is laying me down slowly, our lips seemingly connected with glue as they never separate. His tongue expertly caresses mine for a long moment before he finally pulls away and kisses a path down my neck and onto my chest. He slows his movement, his tongue peeking out from his lips as it drags in slow motion on my skin, right to the peak of my right breast. My fingers thread in his hair and pull. I'm unable to help it – having to grab onto something – after the way his tongue rubs over my nipple.

He takes his time, making sure to bite, lick, and suck it until it's hard as a rock before moving to the other one and repeating the process. "Edward." I sigh when he starts to move lower. His lips trail down my abdomen, softly kissing almost every inch. When he gets to the hem of my panties, he dips the tips of his fingers under them, skimming along the expanse of my hips.

He then hooks his fingers into the waistband, and I'm lifting my hips for him to pull them off. His lips follow them, lovingly kissing down my legs slowly before reaching my feet. Once my underwear is gone, and he is on his knees in between my legs, a little bit of stage fright hits me.

"You're more beautiful than I ever imagined." He whispers, looking down at me, his eyes moving up my body and connecting with my eyes.

My eyes well with tears for a moment before I sit up and kiss him, my hands sliding over his pecks and abs, stopping at his boxers. One of my hands has a mind of its own and rubs him over his underwear while he groans into my mouth.

When I start to pull them down, he helps, kicking them off, and I pull away from his lips. Looking down at him, I suddenly feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

 _Even his cock is perfect._

Long, but not too long. Thick, but not too thick. It's definitely the biggest one I've ever seen, and it's pointing right at me.

His fingers pull my face back to his as we lay back, his body pressing mine into the mattress. We are completely naked and together for the first time and the tingling sensation I always feel when I touch him explodes across the whole expanse of my skin. My heart beats frantically in my chest, celebrating that I'm here with Edward. A few more tears slip from my eyes as the feeling almost overwhelms me. "I love you so much, Edward. Make love to me."

He kisses away my tears and lines up his perfect cock with my core. I'm dripping wet with anticipation. "I love you, Bella." He says as he pushes inside me.

I throw my head back, my eyes closing, and a delicious sound comes from the back of my throat. I can feel just how tightly I am squeezing his thick cock.

Edward shudders when he's pushed into me all the way to the base of his shaft. "You feel so amazing." He whispers. "In every way imaginable."

I open my eyes to find him staring down at me. We both smile at each other and lean in for a kiss. When he pulls back and locks eyes with me, he starts to move.

"Nnnggghhh!" I cry out wordlessly. There are no words to describe not only how he feels sliding in and out of my wet pussy, but also how my heart and soul feel so utterly connected to him. I've never felt anything so powerful before.

"Edward," I whisper. My hands reach around him and find his muscular back. My fingers dig into his flesh trying to somehow get him closer to me. "I love you so much."

"Say it again." He says, looking into my eyes with so much adoration.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." I chant. He silences me with a passionate kiss that would have made my knees buckle if I had been standing. When he pulls away after a long minute, he rises and places his hands on either side of my head. My legs spread wider, and the moment he slams into me from this new angle, I literally scream with pleasure.

I can feel the head of his cock rubbing along my g-spot as he thrusts in and out of me. From the look on his face and the deep moan that pushes its way out of his mouth, I'd say he likes this new position just as much as I do.

"Baby, keep doing that," I say on shaky breaths.

"Look at me." He whispers. I open my eyes and see him holding himself above me, looking like every fantasy I ever had about him. "I want to see your eyes as I make love to you."

I nod and bite my lip, trying to stop myself from screaming. The way I feel about him, the way his touch makes my body feel, the way he's loving me right now…I'm in heaven. Everything about him and this moment is so good; so perfect.

 _It feels too good. I don't think I can take much more._

"Fuck." He moans. I can tell he doesn't have much longer till he loses the battle to hold off coming. "You feel too amazing. So incredible."

The tension in my stomach builds fast as I watch him lose himself in my body. "Don't stop. I'm…so close."

He slams into me even harder causing me to cry out. When his new, demanding thrusts keep coming, over and over and over again, I scream. The pleasure builds higher and higher…and then I am coming. I come so hard that the walls of my pussy actually push him out of me. He immediately pushes back in, and I shudder even harder as my orgasm intensifies.

Wave after wave of pleasure rolls through me, my toes curling painfully and my breathing stutters until I'm gasping for air as I come down.

"Bella," Edward whispers and then he's coming, grunting ferally as he empties himself inside me. My hands run all over his body as he shakes apart.

When he finally stops spasming, he opens his eyes and smiles at me, taking deep breaths to slow his heart rate.

After a few more seconds, he lies beside me and pulls my mouth to his, kissing me slowly and sweetly for a very long time. There is so much love in every little lick and nip of his lips on mine. His hands can't seem to stay away from me – caressing my side and trailing over the peaks of my breasts – much like my hands on him, too.

"I still can't believe you're here." He says, looking deep into my eyes with awe.

I smile at him, my hand cupping his face. "I'm sorry it took me so long. I have been known to be pretty stubborn at times."

He laughs then, sounding so carefree and happy. It's music to my ears. "I would have waited decades for you."

I know." I lean in and kiss his beautiful mouth. "I'm just glad I finally came to my senses. I would have missed all this...feeling this indescribable sense of…happiness. No, exaltation. Pure bliss."

Every adjective I try out seems to fall short of how I feel.

He smiles hugely at me. "I feel the same way. Like I couldn't possibly be any happier, ever, than I am right now. I've dreamed of this - of you - for what seems like forever. And don't even get me started on how it feels to have you naked in my arms. You are more beautiful than any fantasy my imagination ever was able to conjure up."

"You are too," I say, thinking about when I masturbated in the shower and called out his name. My fantasy Edward was sorely lacking compared to the real thing. "You remember when I called your name when I was in the shower? You came running, and I told you I thought I saw a spider."

"Yeah. You said it was a button." He furrows his brows adorably as if he was confused. "But I don't remember any of your clothing having black buttons. And with how much I was staring at you, I memorized every piece of your clothing."

I laugh, my breasts jiggling and catching his eyes. "Well…I was actually masturbating in the shower while thinking about you. When I orgasmed, I called out your name and, well, you came running."

His eyes widen almost comically. "You were?" I bite my lip and nod, smiling at his happy face. "Yes!" he yells, punching the air above him excitedly. "That is so hot." He proves that by pushing his hardening cock into my lower abdomen.

And suddenly, I want my fantasy to come true. I want every single fantasy I've ever had – which truthfully, I've had more than I can count - of him to come true. There has been this huge buildup of sexual tension this whole month, and I need to let it all out.

 _I want, no need, to be fucked by him._

"Now that we've made love," I look straight into his eyes so he'll see the desire in mine. "I want you to fuck me. Make me forget my own name. Make my fantasies about us come true."

When his eyes darken two shades of green, his jaw flexing with blazing desire and determination, my clit throbs painfully hard. He crashes his mouth against mine and shoves his tongue inside.

I moan at the intensity of the blazing kiss and the way it turns my insides into an inferno. He kicks his leg over my body, raising himself and hovering above me. When he pulls away from my mouth, I gasp wildly for air. Edward dips down and starts nipping and kissing a white-hot path down to my tits. He sucks and flicks my nipple with his tongue while he pinches and pulls the other one with his strong fingers. I cry out, not knowing what to do with how turned on I am.

After a long time passes, I start begging for him to move lower, knowing if he does to my clit what he did to my breasts, he'll have me coming in a matter of seconds. "Edward, I can't…mmmm…lick me. _Please_." I roll my hips to show him what I mean, and he growls.

"I thought you'd never ask." He wastes no time in dragging his tongue down to my center, immediately attacking my clit with his tongue.

I scream with pure ecstasy, my head thrashing from side to side as my body is shocked by the pleasure he's giving me. My hands fist the sheets under me, needing to grab _something_ to ground myself to the real world.

I don't think it can get any better until he slides two fingers into my slick pussy. My hips involuntarily thrust upwards, and he growls, and the vibration from his voice on my clit is euphoric. I scream out again as his one free hand pushes my hips back down to the bed. "You taste so fucking incredible." He says, his hot breath blowing over me and sending shivers through my skin and straight to my bones.

He curls his long, dexterous, pianist's finger inside me only a few times before I'm worked into a frenzy. My head is rolling from side to side, my fingers digging a hole in his bedding, and my breath is whooshing in and out in short gasps.

Like I predicted, he has me coming in no time. My entire body, from my scalp to my curled toes, roils with burning, undiluted pleasure. It feels like my whole body is orgasming, the incredible feeling radiating from every nerve ending like a never-ending tsunami. I shudder over and over again as his fingers and tongue never stop their mission to give me the most mind-shattering orgasm anyone has ever had.

I don't know how much time has passed – possibly a year and three days – before I finally start to come down. My body feeling like rightfully-fucked jelly. Breathing like I just ran a marathon, I grab his face from between my legs, pull it up to mine and lick my own juices from his lips. He moans wantonly at my action.

It's something I've never done before. I've never tasted myself and never wanted to, until now. The combination of my arousal and Edward is now my new favorite taste. When I shove my tongue in his mouth, he groans and returns everything I give him.

I buck my hips and kick my leg until he rolls over, and I'm on top. "Tell me you want me to suck your cock," I say my voice rough with desire. He's finding out I have a dirty mouth when having sex.

He looks at me with a raging fire behind his eyes. " _Fuck_ , Bella. I've imagined that _so many times_." He swallows quickly after licking his lips. "Suck it, baby. Don't make me wait any longer."

I give him a crooked smirk and then kiss a blazing path down his chest. When I finally get to his swollen cock, sliding in between his legs, I sigh with relief.

 _Yes!_

My tongue comes out and licks him from his base to his tip, flicking over his head before I wrap my mouth around him. He yells out in pleasure I as slowly suck him in, sliding lower and lower until his head is shoved into the top of my throat. His hips jerk upwards involuntarily while his hand comes to rest on the back of my head.

"Mmmm," I say as I slide back off. "You feel so good in my mouth." He growls, and once again, I slide my back down. "Bella." He whispers wantonly. When I wrap my hand around his base and move it in time with my lips, he jumps, his cock twitching in my mouth. I can feel his head swell and it drives me wild.

I speed up the bobbing of my head, shoving him further and further down my throat, loving it when I make myself gag. He's jerking and twitching with pleasure, causing my pussy to clench with desire. I squeeze my legs together, hoping the little bit of friction that comes from it with help with the pulsing.

It doesn't.

When I add a twisting motion to my hand, he yelps and thrusts upwards. "Fuck, you gotta stop and let me fuck you."

I pull off him with a pop and wipe away the bit of his pre-cum from my lips. He sits up and pulls my mouth to his, kissing me passionately and deeply, both of us moaning the whole time.

When we pull apart, his eyes and mine are crazy with lust, and we're breathing raggedly as he growls out, "I love you so fucking much."

"I love you too."

Our bodies seem entirely in tune with one another as no words are spoken, and yet we move perfectly in sync. He rolls us over, and I bring one leg up to his shoulder, his arm already waiting to hold it in its place, locking it there when he puts his hand by my ear.

When he pushes inside of me, spreading me wide for the second time today, I scream out and close my eyes, the pleasure too much for me to handle with how sensitive my pussy is. He pulls back and slams into me, pushing so far and deep inside that I'm sure I can feel him in my throat. I turn my head to the side and have to gently nip at his arm to keep from biting off my own lip.

 _It's too much pleasure for one person to bear._

"You like that, baby?" He asks, his voice, pure sex, and I nod. "How does my cock feel?"

"Fuck!" I scream when he slams into me, my tits bouncing roughly. "Amazing!"

"I love hearing those dirty words come from your sweet mouth." He slams into me impossibly harder, grunting in his own pleasure. The juices coming from my pussy create the most erotic sound as he fucks me. That combined with his moans and curses of ecstasy slipping from his perfect mouth, and I am in heaven. Sex filled, dirty talking, heaven.

"Your…pussy….nnnggghh." he says, his eyes fluttering closed as his head flies backward. "Shit!"

When he pulls my other leg up to the rest on his other shoulder, that does it for me. He's relentless in the power of his thrusts. Long, deep, steady, and unbelievably forceful.

"Baby, I'm…keep fucking me. Right there." I manage to get the words from my mouth before speech becomes impossible. When I start to come...again…my walls clamping down on him, he finds his release inside of me. He grunts as I moan, both of our bodies shaking with our mutual orgasms. When his twitching cock finally stills, having nothing more to offer me for the moment, he gasps for air. He's still for a long while, hovering above me and breathing heavily, just like me. When he opens his eyes again, he gives me a gorgeous smile, bending his arms so he can kiss me despite our ragged breathing.

"That was…" I say, stopping when I realize there are no words grand enough to express how I feel. "Earth-shattering."

"I know what you mean." He kisses me again before falling beside me, his cock sliding out and resting on my hip as my legs fall back to the bed. I roll onto my side to face him and snuggle into his chest. His arms wrap around me, and one of my legs slides between his.

Nothing is said for a while, both of us just enjoying the post-coital bliss that lingers in the room. His fingers run the length of my hair while I listen to his heart beating steadily. I never want to leave this spot.

All I do now is bask in the realization that I am now loved unconditionally, and it fills my heart with joy.

* * *

 _Phew! They finally, FINALLY got together! You also got to hear from Edward even though he was really sad. What did you think of how it happened? Would you have done the same?_

 _Also, the Van Morrison songs that I envisioned were Into The Mystic and Tupelo Honey if you're interested in looking them up._

 _www dot youtube dot com / watch?v=cpPSBzGEklE_

 _www dot youtube dot com / watch?v=Eq3YLhtuzTQ_

 _Tell me what you think! Don't forget to **review** and **follow!**_


	21. Chapter 21

_Thank you SunflowerFran for being the best beta ever._

* * *

Chapter Twenty

* * *

After a while, I hear his stomach growl ravenously, and I look up at him then. "When was the last time you ate?" I ask, my worry from earlier returning. The dark circles under his eyes and beard scruff are just the tip of the iceberg now that I'm inspecting him closer. His face is a little thinner, and he looks unusually pale.

I bring my hand up to his eyes and trace the dark circles there, letting him know I've noticed the changes. He looks guiltily at me. "I think I ate something last night. I don't really remember though."

"Why not?" I ask and then kick myself for it.

"I was…a bit drunk." He takes a deep breath, looking over my entire face as he brings his fingers up to trace my cheek. "Emmett came over, and I remember him insisting I eat something he shoved at me."

"Baby." Regret and condemnation fill my tone. For a moment, his eyes are filled with so much sadness before focusing back on me. "Was it because of me?"

He looks away from me. "It doesn't matter now. I've got you here, in my bed with me, hearing you say you love me, and that's all that I care about. I'm whole again." He brings my mouth to his, kissing me so very sweetly.

I try not to let the guilt spread too far before I pull away. "Well, how does…" I look up and out his two windowed walls, noticing the sun is almost gone. "How does making dinner together sound?"

"That sounds perfect."

We kiss for a minute before I sit up, stretching my body and working the kinks from my neck. When I hop out of bed, I look back to see Edward with his arms folded under his head, smirking and watching me.

"What?" I ask, grinning at him.

"Oh. I'm just enjoying the view." He winks at me, and I giggle, grabbing a pillow and tossing it over his face.

I spot the plain black T-shirt he was wearing earlier and put it on. "Do you have any boxers I can wear?"

"Nope." He says wickedly.

I shake my head at him. "Come on, lover boy; let's go find something to eat." When I lean back on the bed and kiss him, he grabs me and pulls me flush against his chest, causing me to laugh loudly. When his hands slide up my legs and over my uncovered backside, my laughter cuts off, and I pull back.

"You're insatiable," I say, shaking my head. When he gives my ass a little smack, smiling like a lunatic, I roll out of bed before his hands convince me to go for round three.

"I'm going to the bathroom. I expect you to be dressed…no…semi-dressed when I get back. Don't put on a shirt." I bite my lip and let my eyes linger on his perfect abs before running into the bathroom. I relieve myself and then search for a washcloth before finding one and using it to clean his cum from between my legs.

When I emerge from the bathroom, he's standing by the bed, his tight round ass facing me as he pulls up some sweatpants. "Mmm," I say to myself before walking over to his front and kissing him as I then drag him to the kitchen.

After we heat up some food Emmett left in the fridge that Rose had cooked, we go and sit at the table along the windowed wall.

Judging from the atmosphere now surrounding us and the quiet, inquisitive look on his face, I know we are about to have the conversation I am dreading. "We'll talk after we eat," I say. He smiles and nods, glad I didn't get the vibe he was putting off wrong. I know he still has a million questions for me.

I play footsie with him under the table, sliding my foot up and down his lower leg, needing to touch him. Halfway through dinner, he grabs my foot and pulls me closer, resting it in between his legs on his seat. One hand comes down and massages it while he uses the other to eat.

The quiet between us isn't uncomfortable and allows me to collect my thoughts and think about what I want to say. I think he knows that and it's part of the reason he's rubbing my foot; the contact and action soothing me.

Once we're done, I take our dishes and place them in the sink. As I pass by the table, I grab his hand and pull him to the couch. He sits, and I fall next to him, pulling his arm over my shoulders as I tuck myself into his side. I play with his fingers on the hand resting over me as his other one trails slowly up and down my arm on the other side. When he presses a kiss to my neck, I sigh, my eyes slipping closed as I begin to speak.

"So, what do you want to know first?" I ask, letting my head fall back onto him.

I feel his chest rise and fall with a deep breath. "Was him cheating, was that the only…what caused you to leave him?" The constant rephrasing of his question reveals how nervous he is.

My heart clenches as I recall what Jake did. "It was a culmination of so many things over a long period of time." I take a deep breath of my own. "But if you want to know what the nail in the coffin was, well, I think it'd be better if I showed you. You already know he cheated, but there's more to it than that."

"Show me?" He sounds pretty confused, and I don't blame him. It was a weird thing to say.

I nod and stand. "I have to go get my phone from the truck," I tell him. When I ran inside earlier, I left everything behind. I'm back fairly quickly and am glad to see Edward is still where I left him. I retake my place and unlock my phone, swiping away the dozens of missed call notifications and countless text messages from Jake.

I pull up the picture and turn in his embrace, facing him but still tucked closely into his side. When I hand him my phone, his eyes landing on the image of Jake and Tanya with their hands all over each other, he instantly tenses. His face drains of color, and if I weren't so close to him, I'm sure he would have jumped up in surprise.

"What?!" His brows are scrunched hard together, manifesting the confusion on his gorgeous face.

"He cheated on me with Tanya while I was here. I'm assuming Chelsea is behind it. She must have told Tanya who then took it upon herself to get back at me for taking you away from her."

"I was _never_ hers!" He shouts, turning off the screen on my phone.

"That's not how she sees it. When I was at Maggie's charity ball, Tanya's mother pretty much called me a homewrecker. She insinuated in front of a few other women that you had cheated on Tanya with me and that I stole you from her."

"That's insane." He says angrily. His jaw is tensed and flexing with anger." I knew Tanya had jealousy issues when we were together, but I never thought she would take it this far. I guess I'm naïve because I thought I had handled it."

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, curious.

He breathes deep for a moment before he speaks. "She was constantly calling me after she found out about you. It was obsessive. For three weeks she would call and show up at my work, making small talk before trying to initiate some sort of physical contact. Kissing, holding my hand…she once offered sex, saying that she wouldn't tell anyone. She even called my mother over a dozen times and showed up at a restaurant where she was having lunch, thinking I was going to be there."

"What the hell?" I say quietly.

 _That bitch! She was trying to steal my man. Well, sort of my man at the time._

"I eventually had to meet with her at my lawyer's office a week and a half before you left. I told her that I loved you and I was going to block her number if she didn't stop what she was doing. I'd even file a restraining order. After saying some not-so-nice things about you, she acquiesced." He sighs and then leans his cheek on top of my head. "I've known her for fifteen years. I didn't want to lose our friendship. I hoped it could be salvaged, even after she started acting crazy."

I wish he would have told me about all that, but I understand why he didn't. We weren't actually in a real relationship.

"Yeah, well, what's done is done. No one can undo it." I lean forward and curl into a ball, pressing myself even closer to him. I feel his body relax after a minute and he brings his arms around me, hugging me even tighter.

"I'm sorry he hurt you like that." He says after a quiet minute. He kisses the top of my head when he feels my body shudder softly with small sobs. I don't cry for long, maybe a minute or two before I tell myself that enough is enough. I shouldn't be crying over Jake while I'm in Edward's arms.

"It was inevitable." I lift my head a little, burrowing my forehead into his neck. "Things weren't working for a while, at least not on my end. Being with you made me realize that. Jake never listened to me. He was always assuming he knew what I wanted and would do it without asking. And the thing was, he was so terribly wrong about everything. And I was constantly censoring myself to suit him, telling myself as long as I did what Jake wanted while making him happy in the process, I would be happy too. I realized how unhealthy my inner voice had become, and in the process, I forgot who I was. In the end, I had turned into someone completely different; a person I didn't like or recognize.

"And then you came along." I stop for a moment, smiling as I think back to when I first saw him. "You pulled me back out of my Jake-induced slumber and made me reexamine the direction my life had taken. I started to reexamine everything. Myself…what I wanted…what I didn't want."

Shaking my head, I continue. "I like who I am with you. I feel as if I'm me again; not asleep anymore. You're to thank for that."

"I don't think so." He says, shaking his head gently. "You did all that yourself. You just needed to step away from your life to be able to see it clearly. All I did was provide you with that opportunity. The rest was all you."

I bite my lip before I kiss him, falling more in love with him every time he opens his mouth. "I love you, Edward," I whisper against his lips, resting our foreheads together.

"I love you, Bella. Forever."

* * *

Waking up in Edward's arms feels amazing. Feeling his long, lean, naked body pressed up against my back is what pure bliss is for me now.

He sighs gently in his sleep, and I snuggle in closer, turning my head to kiss his arm that is over my shoulder. Even as I think about the past twenty-four hours and everything that transpired between Jake and me, and then my time with Edward, I can't seem to feel anything other than happiness when I'm in his arms.

I can't pinpoint the moment I decided to come here as I drove away from Jake and Port Angeles. When I realized I was headed toward the sound and then driving across it, I realized my subconscious mind had made the decision for me to come back to the place I was the happiest.

I needed Edward.

And the reason I needed him was because I was desperately in love with him.

I take a deep breath and sigh, watching a bird as it lands on the balcony outside of his room. I think I had to be free of Jake in order to be able to admit to myself that I was in love with Edward. In my mind, if I had admitted it when I was with Jake, that would have meant I had done something terribly wrong; that emotionally, I had cheated on him with Edward.

But was it really wrong? Could it be called emotional cheating when I wasn't even aware of how I actually felt?

 _No._

My relationship with Jake had been on the rocks for a long while. Either I had refused to see it, or I was too stupid to see it. I'm not sure which one it was just yet. All I do know is that being away from Jake was what made me realize how complacent I had gotten in our extremely, one-sided relationship. I had been giving him what he wanted for far too long just so my life would be easier. It is a well-known fact that if Jake doesn't get his way, he is hard to deal with.

His favorite pastime when he was angry was saying mean and hurtful things. He'd shout and wave his arms, occasionally punching something nearby, and pout until I would finally cave, desperate for him to stop being so cold and mean to me. He would deprive me of affection, both physically and emotionally, refusing to talk to me or even touch me, pushing me to the point where I would give him anything he wanted to get him to stop scowling and say he loved me.

He would even do that with little things like watching T.V. together. We'd sit down after a long day and curl up on the couch. If I had picked something he didn't want to watch, he would say he was going to go to the bedroom and play a video game unless I turned the channel to something else. He knew all I wanted was to spend time with him and that I'd do anything to get him to stay with me. So, I'd change the channel to whatever he wanted to watch.

Jake manipulated me with his love; used it as a weapon to get what he wanted. Even the tiniest of things.

Nothing was safe.

Then there was the issue that had only gotten worse over time. He never listened to me. He never took my thoughts or wants into consideration, sometimes doing the opposite of what I told him I wanted out of sheer spite, just to prove that I couldn't tell him what to do; that I couldn't control him, not that I ever tried to in the first place. I brushed those things off and told myself they didn't really matter. I convinced myself that what mattered was that Jake was happy. I loved him and wanted to make him happy, even if I had to compromise, or in some cases, completely give up what I wanted.

Being away from Jake made me realize that is not how a relationship works. I'm not supposed to give up everything I want and need just so I can make my partner happy. He was supposed to listen to me, to take what I wanted into consideration.

I mean, if he had listened to me when I told him that co-signing on that motorcycle for Quil was a horrible idea, the bank would have never dropped his loan approval, and I wouldn't have had the urge to call Edward. In my mind, Jake was the one who drove our relationship into the ground.

 _And I let him._

I let him manipulate me. I let him replace my inner voice with his. I allowed his indifference to my wants and expectations become normal. I had convinced myself I was still happy when I was anything but.

Getting away from him…that was the best way to find myself again; find my inner voice and allow myself to think about what I really wanted. He was toxic for me. A poison. It took a while for the poison to filter through my system, but when it did, I was able to see clearly for the first time in years.

This new version of myself…no. _That's wrong. I'm not a new version of myself._

This revelation, the rediscovery of who I am, is because of Edward. He fostered my return, nurtured it with his endless questions. He caused me to think – deeply – about everything. My wants. My desires. My hopes and dreams. I didn't have the pressure of worrying about what Jake would say if I said I wanted something different than what his dream was; what I had agreed to do for him all those years ago. When we were teenagers and full of dreams of what we wanted at the time, I was too young to realize that what I wanted could and would most likely change.

"Hey." Edward whispers.

I smile and kiss his arm again. "Hey," I say back.

He snuggles closer, curling his body around mine. "How long have you been awake?"

"A while."

"Did you have trouble sleeping?"

"No," I say. "I woke up around six and couldn't go back to sleep. I couldn't get my mind to turn off."

I feel his chest expand and then a slow breath from his nose tickles the back of my neck. "You thinking about everything that happened yesterday?"

Even though he doesn't say it, I know he's specifically talking about Jake. "Honestly, yes." I wiggle a little, so he'll loosen his arms around me. When he does, I turn and face him, laying my head on my pillow to look at him. He puts his arm back on my waist, pulling me closer, and I curl into a ball and snuggle against his chest. "I'm trying to figure out where it all started to go wrong with him."

He doesn't say anything and brings his hand up to push some hair out of my face.

"I don't think I can pinpoint a certain time or pick a certain thing he did that signaled the end. I think it was just gradual. So gradual, I didn't realize I didn't love him anymore until I spent time away." I give Edward a small, sad smile. "I grew up somewhere along the way and changed while Jake stayed the same. Eighteen-year-old me was perfect for him, but twenty-five-year-old me…not so much."

"I could tell the second night we met, when Jake presented his business model to me, that you weren't exactly into the idea of running a garage as he was. There was this hesitancy in the way you spoke about it being both yours and Jake's dream; there was a tightness in your eyes and voice."

"I want to help people, not sit back and run an auto repair shop." I shake my head and look down at Edward's chest. My fingers start to trail over his pecks. "You got me to admit that to myself. Being here with you, seeing everything you've done for everyone else – the charities you've started – it made me realize just how selfish Jake can be and how money-hungry he is. All he's talked about for years is how he's going to be rich and how we'll live in a mansion. It didn't matter how many times I told him that's not what I wanted; he was adamant that was the direction his life and mine was going to take."

When I look back up to meet his eyes, I suddenly feel like an idiot. "I'm sorry. You probably really don't want to hear all this; hear about Jake."

He immediately shakes his head. "Bella, you can talk to me about anything. I want you to feel like you can tell me everything that's on your mind. I'm a big boy. I can handle you talking about your ex and wanting to explore what happened."

I reach up and cup his face. "And that is why I fell in love with you." I smile at him, mirroring his at me. "You're a grownup — a loving, giving, supportive, self-sufficient adult. You pushed me to explore what I wanted to do with my life and what I wanted in a relationship. The more time I spent with you as my friend made me realize what I had with Jake was toxic. I was never going to be able to figure out what path I wanted my life to take with him as my inner voice, holding me back and tying me down to his garage and the life he envisioned for us."

"So, you don't regret yesterday?" he asks, his voice timid and shaky.

"Oh, no. Not at all." I say worriedly. I lean forward and peck his lips. "It – us – was long overdue. I haven't loved Jake for a long time, and once I admitted that to myself, I realized what a complete idiot I had been for not realizing I had fallen so deeply in love with you."

"You're sure?"

His voice is wary, and I sigh. "Yes, I'm very sure." When a smile lights up his face, and he starts to lean in for a kiss, I hold my hand up between us. "Just one question, though." He furrows his brows in confusion. "Why didn't you tell me that I was in love with you?"

His easy-going smile returns just before he begins to laugh. "Because you would have never believed me. You can be pretty stubborn."

"So, you knew I was in love with you?" I ask.

"I was pretty sure. My family said they could see it in your eyes when you looked at me." He caresses my face again before he turns playful. "And then you were constantly amending the contract to allow more physical contact. It's like you couldn't keep your hands off me, and you didn't want me to keep mine off you either."

I grin and bite my lip. "You caught me," I say. "It just felt so good to be in your arms."

"Like this?" he asks, pulling me tighter to him and leaning forward to kiss me.

Our lips move slowly and softly over each other's, taking our time to explore this new sensation. The kiss turns unbearably sweet after a moment, his hand gently cupping my cheek while his soft lips yield against mine. My heart pounds strongly in my chest as the love I feel for Edward settles into every crevice of my being.

When he pulls back just a little, the tips of our noses touching, I can feel relief rolling off him in waves. "I was so afraid you'd regret yesterday." He whispers. "Afraid you'd think you had moved too fast with me."

I shake my head. "No. I wasted _so much_ time with Jake, and once I realized what I wanted, nothing was going to stop me from getting it. I wasn't going to waste any more time not being with who I loved; who made me happy." I stop for a second and sigh, trying to get my thoughts straight. "Yes, I know I just got out of a long relationship yesterday, but in actuality, my heart hadn't been in it for quite some time, and that was my mistake. I don't want to make another mistake by not being with you. I wasn't…I'm _not_ willing to lose you. I was so afraid that I broke your heart and you hated me because of it."

"I could never hate you." He says fervently.

"If I had stayed away and not called you, I might have lost you. Either to someone else or because what you felt for me could turn into hate. They are both very powerful emotions, and a lot of the time, go hand in hand. It's easy to move from one onto the other."

"You're crazy if you think that." It's Edward's turn to shake his head at me. "You, Isabella Swan, are it for me. You're my happy ending, the love of my life. _My soulmate_. My soul recognized yours the first time I saw you, and after that, I was a complete goner. _Fin_. I had to physically restrain myself from running to you when we locked eyes in that restaurant."

I smile and blush as I think back to that night … how I could feel his eyes on me, how my breath caught in my throat when I saw him. I remember thinking it felt as if a magnet was pulling me, trying to drag us together as warmth spread through my body.

I smile, looking into his eyes. "Goosebumps covered me from head to toe when we made eye contact. And I felt it too - the pull between us. I remember comparing it to a magnet."

"And I think it's only gotten worse since then." He says smiling.

"Definitely." I nod and giggle, leaning in to kiss him. When my hands snake around to the back of his head, grabbing handfuls of his short hair, he groans into my mouth and bucks his hips against me. I giggle again and smile, pulling away. "As much as I'd love to stay and take this further, I really need to pee. I've been up for hours holding it, not wanting to move from the bed and your arms."

"Well then, hurry up."

I give him a quick peck and then fling the covers from my naked body. Edward's eyes move down to my exposed skin, and his gaze turns lustful. I start walking to the bathroom when I hear a deep grunt come from the beautiful man in the bed. "Damn." He says, and I look back over my shoulder.

His hungry eyes are scanning me from head to toe and lingering on my butt. I give it a little shimmy and let out a few giggles. He groans again just as I reach the bathroom and shut the door.

When I come back out, he has his hands behind his head and is grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Yep. The front is just as perfect as the back." When his eyes make their way over every inch of my skin, I feel that pull to go to him for the millionth time … and, I listen to it.

I slowly make my way back to the bed, torturing him by swinging my hips and letting my fingers glide over sensitive areas of my skin. When I get to the edge of the bed, Edward sits up so quickly that I barely see him as he wraps a long arm around my waist. He somehow lifts me and tosses me across his body and onto the bed. Letting out a peal of laughter, I squirm as he throws the covers over both of us while he grabs just above my knee, knowing it is my most ticklish spot. He discovered it when we were chicken fighting in the pool with Rose and Emmett the day they came over.

"No fair!" I giggle. "You know that's a weakness of mine!"

"What's not fair is the way you teased me as you walked over here." His voice is low and husky, his hand sliding up from my knee and grazing over one of my breasts.

I wrap my arms around his neck. The white blanket that covers us creates our own little love cave, and I love it. The light coming in from the walls of glass softly penetrates the blanket, lighting the inside to a warm cream color that compliments his lightly tanned skin as he hovers above me. When his hand makes it to my face, his fingertips glide along my cheekbone and come to rest tangled in my hair. "You are _so_ _beautiful_ , Bella, inside and out. Every single little thing about you is perfect."

"You can't say things like that," I say to him, my hands finding his hair, too.

"Why not?" Half his mouth quirks up a little.

I search his eyes for a moment. "Because I'm not perfect. I don't want to let you down when you realize how flawed I am."

"Baby. I know you're not perfect. What I meant was that you're perfect _for me_." He smiles when I do, relieved that he hadn't put me on a pedestal. "Do you know how hard it was for me _NOT_ to kiss you this past month?"

"Well, it's a good thing the contract is over, isn't it?" I ask him and wiggle my brows. His smirk turns into a full-blown smile before he crushes his mouth against mine.

Things progress pretty quickly from there. It doesn't take long before I'm shoving my tongue into his mouth, nipping at his bottom lip as he pulls back.

His tongue blazes a path down my neck and to my chest, swirling around my right nipple before moving to the other one, licking it until it's as hard as a rock. He lays to the side of me propped up on one elbow as his free hand finds my center. When he dips one finger inside, he presses his lips to mine, swallowing my sound of pleasure.

The moment he begins to curl them inside of me, I arch my back upwards and involuntarily clench my thighs together.

 _Thank heavens for his long fingers!_

He nudges them apart and starts to tease the spot deep inside me with ease. I turn my head away from his, sucking in a deep breath and moaning, my eyes clenching shut from the pleasure he's giving me. "Edward." I moan as I grab his arm that is between my legs.

"Bella." He whispers in my ear before he nibbles it.

"Nngghh." He's taken away my ability to speak words. He speeds up his pace causing my body to shudder. A glorious pressure starts to spread from his fingertips inside of me, and I curl in on myself. I can feel the walls of my pussy begin to pulse.

"That's it." Even though his voice is a whisper, there is a deep huskiness to it that burns down to my core. "You're so wet for me. Let me make you come."

His dirty words send me careening off the cliff. I cry out as my walls clamp down on his fingers and I roll my hips against his hand, desperate for him to never stop. My breaths come in stunted waves as my muscles tense and release, tense and release. It seems like minutes have passed before my orgasm finally slows and I'm able to relax a little and concentrate on Edward's lips on my neck.

"You are so fucking hot." He growls and swings his leg over me, the covers flying to my waist with the action.

I open my eyes and find his, grabbing his face and pulling it down to me. I claim his lips and then reach down and claim his cock, fisting it in my hand. He makes the most delicious sounds against my lips that drive me wild.

Before I realize it, I've rolled him over and am straddling him, wasting no time by again reaching down and grabbing his cock. I quickly line him up with me and then slowly lower myself onto him. His moans of pleasure are music to my ears.

Once I'm seated all the way down, his hands grip my hips and start to guide them back and forth. I rest my hands on his chest, using it for leverage as I drive him into me over and over again. His eyes are dark as they watch me, traveling from my face to my breasts and then down to where we are one, completing the circuit repeatedly.

His eyes follow one of his hands as he drags it up to my breast where he pinches and pulls at my nipple, cupping it in his hand once my nipple is as erect as his cock. My head falls back when he moves to the other one, and I'm sure my nails dig into him as a passion I've never felt consumes me. My eyes are on fire when I look back down, holding his gaze hostage.

I lift and rock back and forth as I slam him into me. Hard. A sort of frenzy consumes me as I watch him inside of me. We both cry out in ecstasy as I then set a punishing pace. When he starts to lift his pelvis into mine with every roll of my hips, that does it for me. My already sensitive g-spot roils again as he sends me into another toe-curling orgasm.

I feel exactly when my walls squeeze him to the point where he loses himself as well, his cock twitching in time with my orgasm, his cum spurting out deep inside of me - where it belongs.

We are both panting when our hips stop moving and I collapse onto his chest. His arms come to wrap around me as his lips find my head and place a kiss along my hairline.

"How did I get so lucky?" he asks of no one. His fingers drag through my hair and skim down my back.

"How come I never knew I could love like this? So much so that I'm afraid it will consume me." My heart feels so big in my chest I think it might crush everything else just to make enough room for the love I'm feeling for him. With every touch from him, every word out of his mouth, I fall more and more in love. "Is this how you felt all month?"

"If you're asking me if I felt like I could barely breathe every time I looked at you, then, yes. I feared what I felt for you would either drive me to insanity because I couldn't have you – be with you the way I needed to - or I would find solace in it, eventually dying one day, grateful to say I once knew such a grand, all-consuming love, whether it was reciprocated or not."

I kiss his chest before propping my chin on it, looking up at him. "Now you'll never have to worry about either of those happening."

Our lips come together again, moving slowly and conveying wordlessly just how much we love each other.

* * *

I am sitting in the chair across from the piano with a book in my hand while Edward plays. Our eyes are constantly drifting to each other and sharing stupid giddy smiles. I've hardly read a chapter with what's been going through my mind. Now that the sun is finally setting, I suppose I should probably tell Edward what I've been thinking about and absolutely dreading.

As soon as the song he's playing comes to an end, I close my book. He watches me as I walk over and take my place next to him on the piano bench. "What's on your mind?" he asks.

I smile. "How'd you know I was thinking about something?"

"I've been staring at you for a month, Bella, anytime I could get away with it. By now, I know your face like I know the backs of my eyelids."

I grin and turn my head up to him. He gives me a brief kiss before wrapping an arm around me. I have to take a deep breath before I find my voice. "The first thing on my mind is that I need to find a place of my own."

Edward takes a slow, deep, purposeful breath and tightens his hold on me. "I was afraid of that." He says after a moment.

"I know I've already been living here for a month, but I really think I need my own place. I just got out of a long relationship, and I'm jumping right into another one. I don't want to screw things up with you. I want to date you. I want to wait anxiously for you, the anticipation building slowly, wondering how much longer it will be till you knock on my door and whisk me away on a romantic date. I need to live by myself, if only for a little while, and we need to date. No one moves in with their boyfriend or girlfriend in the first week of their relationship."

"As much as I would love to have you here with me all the time, I understand. I want to do things right with you. I don't want to move too fast and risk one of us feeling overwhelmed. I can be patient for you. You're worth it."

I sigh and snuggle in closer to him, bringing my hand up and trailing my fingers over the tops of the piano keys. "And I need to go back home and deal with the aftermath." The thought of that feels like a hundred-pound weight around my neck.

"I would offer to go with you, but I don't think that would be a good idea."

I snort a breathy laugh. "Not exactly." I can only imagine how Jake would react if Edward showed up with me. "It's something I have to do on my own."

"I know," he says and kisses my hair.

"I'd also like to interview for a job with one of your charities," I say, thinking about all the ways I was able to help speed up the building of the breathalyzer manufacturing facility for Maggie's Purpose. "I don't want it given to me just because I'm sleeping with the boss. I want to get the job based on my accomplishments in school as well as my past work history and ethics."

"I wouldn't do you the dishonor of asking my people for that." He says. "I know you are more than capable of impressing them and getting whatever job you want. You just so happen to be incredibly brilliant, and everyone that spends more than a minute with you can see that. Just know I'll support you in whatever you do. All I want is for you to be happy."

 _God, it feels so good to hear that._ _Hearing the sincerity in his voice is so comforting to my soul_.

With Jake, I never felt like he'd support me if I said I wanted to do something other than run the garage. Hell, he never asked me what I wanted. Thinking back, the last time we talked about anything other than starting an auto repair shop was probably three years ago. When I brought up the possibility of signing up to take some pro-bono criminal cases, all he could say was he didn't want me to do it because he was worried it would take too much time away from the garage.

"I know," I tell him. "I love you."

"I love you, more." He says and turns my face up to his, once again claiming my lips for himself. When he pulls back and looks down at me, I see he's thinking about something. "I do have a question for you, though."

"Okay."

"Does Jake know about the clause in his contract?"

I instantly know what he's referring to. "No. Not at all."

Taking in the information I just gave him, he nods his head and purses his lips, understanding that I don't have the answer to the question I know he wants to ask.

* * *

 _What could Edward be talking about? Could it be another plot bunny? Muhaha! Don't worry, we'll find out what they are talking about next chapter. I'm just glad that everything is now out in the open._

 _Up next, Bella goes home and gets her things from Jake's place and Edward meets up with Tanya. Now_ that _is going to be interesting._

 _Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to **follow and review**! I love hearing your thoughts. _

_ALSO, sorry about the last chapter and the confusion from it. My ff account went haywire and it's still not acting right. It won't let me take down one of the duplicate chapters right now. Ugh._


	22. Chapter 22

Big thanks to SunflowerFran for being my beta. Any mistakes left are my own because I tinker...

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

* * *

Pulling into Alice and Jasper's driveway the next day is scary. Not in the traditional sense, but in the way that everything now feels different. It seems as if the life I led with Jake was ages ago instead of just a few days. When I turned on my phone, it pinged and chimed for a full five minutes with missed calls and texts. I only read the last few from Alice telling me to call her mixed with a few expletives. I guess I deserved them because it had been three days since I disappeared, and I had spoken to no one.

She opens the door right before I knock and glares at me for a moment before sighing and wrapping her arms around me. "Dammit, Bella. You could have called and told me you were, at the very least, alive."

"I know," I say as I crush her to my body. I hiccup a shaky breath before swallowing the tears that are brimming in my eyes. "I'm sorry, but I didn't want to talk about any of it right then."

She pulls back and moves aside, letting me into her home. I make my way through the foyer and into the living room at the back of her and Jasper's house. "I'm just glad you told your dad you were okay or else I would have had to file a missing person's report."

I huff and plop down on her couch. "He understood I didn't want to talk about it. _You_ sometimes have a problem with that." I raise an accusatory brow at her, and she rolls her eyes.

"I can control it when I want to." She says as she sits next to me. It's quiet for a minute before she speaks again. "So, I take it you and Jake are done?"

I swallow the lump in my throat and nod at her. "Yeah."

"I figured since he camped outside my house for a day thinking you were here. I almost called the police when he wouldn't stop yelling outside that he was sorry."

I shake my head. "It's been over for years, and I never realized it. His cheating was what pushed me to take the step I should have years ago."

"You say it's been over for years?" she asks, her voice rising slightly in muted surprise.

"Yeah." I take a deep breath and sigh. "He just never appreciated me or what I was doing for us. He railroaded me on _everything,_ and I let him. I stopped making myself happy in order to be what he wanted me to be because I knew if I was honest with myself, what I really wanted would be so different than what he envisioned. I'm not the same person who made all the plans with him years ago."

I shake my head and look down at my hands in my lap. "And I don't even want to get into the fact that he never listened to me about anything."

"I'm glad you finally woke up," Alice says, surprising me. I look up from my hands at her as she leans back on the couch and folds her arms across her chest. "Over the past couple of years, I've watched you slowly change into someone who didn't know she was unhappy. You were just so used to being with Jake that I think a part of you didn't know who you were without him and that scared you.

"I watched you shrink into yourself and become so…resigned to the life you had. It was like you had put your car on cruise control and never stopped, never slowed down to look at the scenery or stop for gas, and certainly never checked to see if you were still going in the right direction.

"There were so many times where you would go to say something and then stop yourself when we were with Jake. But whenever you were away from him, you didn't hesitate to say what you were thinking. The longer you were with him, the light inside of you was slowly dying. That's why I told you what I did when you were in Seattle. I knew being away from Jake would help you realize what he had done to you."

"I let him, Alice," I say. "But why didn't you say that's what you thought about my relationship with him?"

"Because you're stubborn as a mule. You would have immediately gone on the defensive and yelled at me. You weren't ready to hear it until you had some distance from him and your relationship. But, if it had gotten much worse, then I would have said something. Jake's vision of you was really getting out of hand."

"What do you mean by that?" I ask her.

"Besides calling me and asking to plan a surprise wedding?" She chuckles humorlessly. "The last time I talked to him was when you were gone, almost two weeks ago. I had run into him and Billy at Charlie's when I went by to give him some leftovers my mom had boxed up for him. I think she's still sweet on him." She giggles again before continuing. "Anyway, when I went in to heat it up, I heard Jake talking about when the money came in, he wanted to take you on a shopping spree in Seattle, buy you a big engagement ring and designer handbags."

"A shopping spree?" I shake my head. "It's like he doesn't even know me. He has this image of me being a kept woman, and that's not me, Alice."

"I know it's not." She replies. "But you seem to be taking everything pretty well."

I give her a small nod. "I think spending the past month apart helped. I'm already used to not being around him or talking to him. I mean, I missed him when I was gone, but not anything close to how much I should have. I think that was the first indicator for me that I didn't love him the way I had before. I was really freaked out when I woke up one day and realized I didn't think about Jake the day before at all."

"Well, you seemed to be pretty busy while you were in Seattle." She offers and looks pointedly at me.

"I was," I answer.

"Are we going to talk about that?" she prods.

"About what?"

"About what you were so busy doing?"

"I was working for Edward's charity, Maggie's Purpose," I say, trying to deflect the direction she wants to take the conversation, and knowing I won't succeed.

"That's what I'm looking for." She sits up and leans her elbows on her knees. "I can't tell you how many tabloids you are currently in as Edward's mysterious girlfriend."

I blush and shake my head. "We were just friends."

"Were?"

She picks up on my mental slip, and I kick myself.

"Sorry, I'm late," Jasper says, coming in the front door and heading straight for us.

 _I've never been so damn happy to see that man in my life!_

"Well, I'm ready to go if you are, Alice?" I ask her as I stand and look to Jasper. "Thanks for doing this for me. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem, Bella." He steps forward and gives me a quick hug. "I'm so sorry about you and Jake."

"Thanks," I tell him as I pull back and stuff my hands in my pocket.

"This conversation is far from over," Alice tells me as she stands and slips on her shoes. "We still have to talk about who this Tanya chick is, and how she and Jake ended up together."

I cringe with the memory, and Alice's face falls. "I'm so sorry; I didn't think about what I was saying. I'm sorry I brought it up."

I nod and try my best to give her a smile. I probably end up grimacing at instead.

No matter the fact that I was no longer in love with Jake, it still was the most devastating thing to ever happen in my life when he cheated on me. That level of a betrayal of trust is life-changing. "Let's just get this over with."

I lead the way back outside and back into Edward's old truck.

"Where's your truck, Bella?" Jasper asks.

"It wouldn't start this morning, so I borrowed this from a friend." From the look Alice is giving me, she knows just who that 'friend' is. "I guess you can just follow me." I crank the engine and pull out, driving to Port Angeles to collect my things.

* * *

When I pull into the driveway of Jake's rental home, my heart drops to my feet. I feel tears build in my eyes as I look at the front door and have to take a minute to regain my composure. Once I feel as though I'm not about to burst into tears, I get out of the blue truck and breathe deeply as I walk to the door. Alice and Jasper aren't far behind me and stop halfway down the sidewalk, trying to give me some space.

I raise my hand and rap three quick knocks and wait. I know Jake is home because his shiny new truck is in the driveway. I figured it would be best not to tell him when I was coming, mainly so I wouldn't have to talk to him for the first time after breaking up over the phone.

When I hear the lock turn on the doorknob, my heart rate spikes and nerves fill my stomach.

Thankfully, it's Billy who opens the door. His eyes land on me and immediately turn into daggers.

"I've come to get my things, Billy," I say to him, waiting for him to move aside and let me in.

He grinds his teeth together and purses his lips for a moment before nodding and moving aside.

"Thank you," I tell him as I walk by. I'm only a little surprised when I see that things have been thrown everywhere. The boxes that were lined against the walls are either dumped out or have holes in them. It's all just a symptom of Jake being upset and angry. He has a tendency to destroy things.

Once I'm inside, and Jasper and Alice are awkwardly standing in the foyer, I look back to Billy. "Is he still asleep?" I ask.

"Yes."

I nod and steel my nerves, forcing myself to turn and will my feet to propel myself forward. When I'm at the bedroom door, I'm unable to stop a few tears from falling from my eyes as I knock.

"Go away, old man!" Jake shouts angrily.

I wipe the wetness on my face away and knock again.

"I said go away!"

"Can I come in?" I ask, my words barely coming out of my mouth as I try to hold it together. I'm trying not to think about the near decade we spent together and how much I used to love him. It already hurts enough without thinking about that.

Only seconds later do I hear him jump from the bed and run to the door. His face is full of surprise when he opens it and looks at me. "Bella!" he cries out.

"I need to get my things," I tell him, trying not to focus on the dark circles under his eyes and the way his hair sticks up at all angles. It's clear he hasn't showered in days. "May I come in?"

"Bella, let's talk about this." There is hope in his voice and desperation in his eyes. "Please, just sit down and talk with me. I'm so, so sorry."

I shake my head and look past him as I slip into the room, squeezing through the small space between the door and his body as I head straight for the closet. "I'll be quick," I tell him. "Jasper and Alice are here to help me carry my grandmother's vanity."

He's quick on my heels, following too close behind me.

"Bella, please." His voice is incredibly shaky, and I can tell he's close to tears. "Just stop for a second. We can fix this. I need you. I can't live without you."

Tears roll down my cheeks as I grab two handfuls of my clothes from the closet, hangers and all. I say nothing as I pass. Alice appears in the bedroom door then, holding her hands out to take my clothes and then passes them to Jasper who is waiting close behind her. She follows me to the closet again while Jake doesn't even acknowledge her presence.

"Say something, Bella. Anything." He cries.

I don't look at him as I speak, grabbing the rest of my clothes – I don't have much – and then passing them to Alice as I reach down and grab my four pairs of shoes. "There is nothing to say, Jake. We're done. You cemented that when you cheated on me."

"No, no, no." he chants, grabbing at his greasy hair. "You can't just end it like this – without talking to me. I've been trying for days to get you to talk to me."

My frustration gets the best of me and my anger flares. I spin, shoes cradled against my chest as I look at him. I try to ignore the twinge of pain that stabs inside of me at seeing him so messed up after I kick the door shut for some privacy.

"Okay. What do you want to talk about first?" My tone is curt and angry. "Do you want to talk about the reason why I left for a month in the first place at _your_ insistence? Or do you want to talk about moving us without telling me? How about the quarter of a million dollars of MY MONEY YOU SPENT?! You just assumed that because it was in a bank account with your name attached to it that it was yours. NEWS FLASH! The contract specifically stated that the money was strictly for me and to be used only with my discretion. If you were to spend it, then everything you bought with it would be mine, and you would forfeit the investment loan he promised you."

"What?!" he screeches.

"Yes, Jake. That was a stipulation of the contract. It's as if he just _knew_ you were going to spend it all while I was gone. It was part of the investment agreement you signed. It was actually pretty brilliant to write it up like that; have you agree not to touch my money without actually signing the contract I did."

"Why didn't you tell me about that?" He screams worriedly, his eyes filled with fear.

"Because I didn't think it was necessary. I thought I could trust you! After all, you promised to wait until I got back to do anything."

He's completely dumbfounded; his mouth stuck open in shock.

"Or would you rather talk about when you cheated on me?" I raise a brow at him. "What do you want to talk about first?"

"You can't take the garage! It's my dream! And I need that investment money for startup." he says, panic in his tone and in every muscle of his face.

"And _that_ is why it's over between us," I yell at him. "The only thing you cared about during that entire conversation was the money. You don't want to talk about _us_. You're too selfish for that. It has to always be about what _you_ want, and then, when you don't get your way, you get angry and punch things and sulk until I give in. I'm tired of that cycle, Jake."

I turn then and haphazardly open the door while juggling the shoes in each hand. "Keep the quarter-mil you used to buy the garage, Jake. I don't want it. I'll sign it over, no problem. But the rest of the money that was deposited last week, I'm taking. I'm going to need it to get my own place in Seattle. I'll see if Edward still feels generous enough to loan you _some_ of the investment money."

I blow through the bedroom door and find Alice and Jasper standing in the kitchen waiting for me. I dump my shoes in Jasper's arms and then go back to get my toiletries and makeup from the bathroom. As I pass through the bedroom, Jake remains standing there, a shocked look on his face. When I'm on my way back out of the bathroom, he moves in front of me, stopping me from passing. "Just…stop for a minute, please." He begs before dropping down on his knees.

At this height, his eyes are just below mine. "I don't think…."

He cuts me off. "Well, I think that eight years together deserves a longer conversation that what you've given me." When I huff in annoyance, he takes my bath products and flat iron from my hands and sets them down on the floor. I allow him to take my hands and look into his tear-filled, pleading big brown eyes.

"Thank you." He says fervently. He takes a deep breath and swallows before once again speaking. "Bella, I've been such an idiot. All of the things I did last month, the garage, truck, this house…everything, I should have never done them. You'll never know how much I regret all of it now. But Bella, what has never changed and will always remain is just how much I love you. You're my everything."

He stops for a minute to choke on his words with a few quiet sobs, his hands squeezing mine tightly so I can't wipe away my own tears. "I can't imagine my life without you. I don't want to either. I haven't been able to eat or sleep or do anything since you left. It feels like my heart was ripped from my chest and went with you as you drove away. I know you love me, Bella, and I love you. We can work this out. I know we can if you'd just give us one more chance."

I slowly pull my hands from his and wipe away the tears on my cheeks. "I did love you, Jake, but I don't anymore. No amount of time or trying can fix that."

"Don't say that! I know you don't mean it." He shakes his head vigorously and stands.

"I'm sorry Jake, but I do mean it." I reach down and gather my toiletries again and move past him. Jasper and Alice are once again waiting in the kitchen. "I think my grandmother's vanity is in the garage," I tell them and walk through the door across from the bedroom and into the garage.

Flipping the light on, I find it in the corner of the large room by the rolling door, still covered in a tarp from moving. I hit the garage door button, and it rolls up, lighting the place as I set my soaps down in an empty box in the opposite corner. "Let me put these in the truck, and I'll be back to grab the other side of the vanity," I tell Jasper as he pulls off the tarp on the hundred-year-old piece of furniture.

I dump the box into the passenger seat of the truck, and when I turn around, Jake is right behind me looking at the blue vehicle. "Whose truck is this?" he asks.

"That doesn't concern you anymore."

"Where's your truck?"

"It wouldn't start," I say, pushing past him. Jasper is waiting patiently on one side of the piece of furniture, ready to move it.

"I remember!" Jake yells. "This is _HIS_ truck! I remember it from his garage!"

I cringe, knowing things are about to take a really bad turn.

"Is that where you've been?" His tone is accusatory and angry, and I peek over my shoulder at him. "You've been staying with him for the past three days?"

I ignore him and turn back to the vanity, crouching and picking up my side as Alice walks by with a box of my books. Jasper lifts his side and then I'm shuffling slowly backward, carrying the clunky piece of furniture.

"I should have known! I should have figured that out!" Jake huffs, walking up next to me, his eyes filled with pain and fury as he stares me down. I don't look at him or respond and just keep moving. "I'll bet he's playing the part of the loving, supporting friend to perfection, biding his time till he can get in your pants."

His words flame my anger, but I ignore them, knowing he's hurt and just wants a reaction out of me.

"He's a player, Bella! A rich playboy! Once he gets what he wants, he'll toss you to the curb like every other filthy rich fucker in the world. Tell me you're smart enough to realize that!"

My blood boils at his words. My jaw flexes, and my lips mash painfully together with my effort to control myself. I don't want to give him the screaming match he wants. He's angry now that he realizes it's really over between us and is lashing out.

We reach the back of the truck then and set the vanity down. I hop up into the truck bed and bend to grab the edge of the vanity to lift it up.

"Why won't you say anything?" Jake screams as he stands at the truck gate, looking up at me.

"Because what I do, who I see, and where I go is no longer your business! You no longer have the right to demand answers from me!"

He growls angrily and looks down at the vanity. I know what's about to happen, but there is nothing I can do to stop it.

Jake lifts his leg and shoves the vanity out of our hands with his foot. It falls backward, tipping over and crashing to the ground. The mirror breaks off and shatters into hundreds of pieces while one leg hangs on by an old nail.

Typical Jake. Acting out and destroying things when he's angry and doesn't get his way.

"What. The. Fuck. Jake?!" I scream with fury, looking down at my grandmother's shattered vanity. The wood framed mirror is a good five feet away now that it finally stopped sliding across the driveway.

"That was _not cool_ , man," Jasper says stiffly, glowering at Jake.

Jake reaches up and grabs his hair, pulling harshly at the strands. He huffs out some frustrated breaths while he tries to calm himself.

"I think it can be fixed," Alice says as she bends and reaches for the mirror.

Angry tears have replaced the sad ones as I stare at the latest casualty of Jake's self-destructive impulses. "You bastard," I say lowly. "You just couldn't let me go without destroying the only possession I had that meant anything to me."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I can have it fixed." Jake says as he calms. Remorse is starting to show on his face as he realizes what he's done.

When he bends down like he is going to pick it up, I scream at him. "Don't touch it!"

He freezes halfway to the ground.

"Jake?" Billy has rolled himself outside and is looking at his son with worry. "I think it's best if you come inside. Let Bella finish getting her things."

Jake looks up to me standing in the truck bed with pleading eyes. I return his gaze with a look of absolute loathing.

My grandmother's antique vanity is in pieces because of him.

When he realizes he's messed up beyond repair, he turns around and kicks one of my books that had fallen from the box Alice put in the back of the truck. It sails halfway across the front yard as he roughly wipes away his tears with the palm of his right hand.

Once he's gone, I collapse in a heap in the truck bed and begin to cry. It doesn't take Alice long to climb up and wrap her small arms around me, holding me until I stop crying.

* * *

 **Edward**

I glance at my phone for the millionth time before setting it on the table face down. I'm desperate to hear from Bella and know she's okay.

"Can I get you anything else, Mr. Cullen?" the waiter asks.

I shake my head, and he disappears. I down half my water in a few swift gulps and then eat a piece of the bread in the middle of the table.

When Tanya walks into the restaurant, the eyes of most of the men quickly find her. She scans the lunch crowd and spots me quickly. A giant warm smile lights up her face as she walks toward me. "Edward." She says with relief. "I can't tell you how happy I am you called me this morning."

I stand and pull out her chair, hopeful my chivalry will help ease any suspicions she may have. She gives me a sultry smirk and places a kiss on my cheek before sitting. When I take my seat, her face has shifted. "I'm sorry about you and Bella. Rosalie told me the two of you broke up and she went back to her ex."

"That's partly why I asked you here," I say to her, my face glum. "I need to tell you something. Something about mine and Bella's relationship." I reach down and pull out a contract that has 'Non-Discloser Agreement' written across the top. "I've made a mistake, and I want to reevaluate our relationship, Tanya."

I then look into her icy blue eyes, hoping mine look sincere enough to fool her.

Hope floods her face, and she gives me a beaming smile. "Oh, Edward." She coos.

"Before we go any further, I'm going to need you to sign this. You know how private I am."

"But I already signed one the last time we started dating." She says sounding a bit confused.

"I know, sweetie, but it's lapsed now; this is a new one for our new relationship."

Her eyes glass over with unshed tears. "Of course, Eddie. Of course."

I offer her a pen, and she eagerly takes it. I point out the three places I need her signature and the four places that require her initials. Once she's done, I snatch it out from under her fist and hand it to the notary who is sitting at the table next to us. He stamps it and signs his name while Tanya looks on in confusion.

"You had a notary waiting?"

"People should really read contracts before signing them," I say flatly to her, leaning back in my chair.

"What?" she says. She's confused as she looks from me to the notary and then back to me.

"I know that Chelsea told you about the contract between Bella and me, Tanya."

Her faces pales drastically at my words.

"That NDA you just signed covers any knowledge you have of that contract. You speak one word about it to anyone, and you'll be living on the streets."

She doesn't say a word as she processes the dramatic shift from what she thought our little meeting was about.

"Here's your copy." I drop a duplicate of the NDA in front of her as I sit back up and lean across the table, dropping my voice to a whisper. "I also know what you did with Bella's ex. I had no idea you could be so jealous and vindictive." Chagrin spreads over her face. "Did you do it out of hate? Spite? Jealousy?"

Her face is red with anger, and I'm assuming, embarrassment. "You had just told me you were going to put a restraining order on me. And it was all because of that slut you hired." She sneered at me while my fists clenched with anger from her words. "Chelsea caught up with me the next day and told me everything. She wanted my help to get rid of Bella and then we could compete for you." She huffs. "As if she could compete with what we have."

I bite my tongue, holding off yelling at the woman in front of me, hoping she'll keep talking and spill all of her secrets.

Tanya locks eyes with me. "But Bella needed to know what it felt like to have her man taken from her the way she took you from me … even if your relationship was a farce. I saw the way you looked at her. She left a wake of heartbreak in her path. Mine, because you refused to give us another shot with her hanging around. Yours, because she loves another man, and not you, even though you are - for some insane reason - obsessed with her."

"Damn. You really _are_ a horrible person." I say, breaking into her rant. I can't hear any more. "And your plan worked. Her fiancé did cheat on her with you, and she found out about it."

Her face twists slightly with her effort not to smile at this revelation.

 _She's actually glad that she hurt Bella. What an evil bitch._ "And I'd like to thank you for that."

My words catch her off guard, and the smirk that was playing around the edges of her lips disappears.

"When she found out, she left him and came to me. We've spent the past two days in bed together, declaring our love for each other." I can't stop the blissful smile that spreads across my face. "What you did drove her into my arms for good. I'd like to thank you for that. Truly."

I watch in satisfaction as most of the blood drains from her face. Her eyes fall away from me and drop to the table, disbelief coloring every feature of her face. It's quiet for a moment as I let that sink in.

"Honestly, Tanya. What did you expect to happen when you did what you did?"

"I thought she was just with you because of the contract." She says lowly to me as some color starts to seep back into her face. "Chelsea said that she was in love with her fiancé. She said Bella didn't care about you that way. I only wanted to make her see what it felt like to have the man you love dump you and screw you over."

"I didn't 'screw you over,' Tanya." I lean closer to her over the table, whispering furiously in an attempt to keep our conversation private. The closest people to us are two tables away, but I don't want to take any chances. "We broke up seven months ago. I moved on, and you should have too. I can't help if I never loved you. And now, more than ever, I'm convinced you don't love me either. You just love the idea of me."

"That's not true, Edward. I _do_ love you."

I scoff at her words and stand, shoving my chair roughly across the floor. "I'm done here, Tanya. Done with this business and done with you. I need to get back home so I can help my girlfriend move her stuff into my garage until we can find a place for it."

I pull some cash from my wallet and toss it onto the table. "Order something. You're looking a little sick. It's on me." I button the coat of my suit before turning and walking away.

* * *

 _So, Tanya was definitely scheming with Chelsea...not that we didn't know that already. Do y'all think there will be any negative consequences for Edward that stem from this meeting with Tanya? Will she go quietly into the night or will she try and get revenge again?_

 _And what about Jake? What did y'all think about the clause (sneaky Edward) and the fact that Bella wants to sign everything over to Jake and be done with it?_

 _Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to **review and follow!**_

 _I'd also like to thank those that voted this story into the second round of the FF awards! Thank everyone SO MUCH! It means the world to me!_


	23. Chapter 23

_Sorry it's been a while since the last update, but I dropped my laptop. The screen was totally shattered and I had to buy a new one. It took a while to get the info off my last one and onto my new one. Ugh. It's been a long few weeks._

 _Also, in an effort to get this chapter to you as soon as possible, it is completely **UNBETA'D**. All mistakes are completely my own. _

* * *

The drive back to Edward's is quite peaceful after the contentious and stressful day. His truck is full of my things and what I couldn't fit in the cab, Alice and Jasper stuffed into their car. I look in the rearview mirror and see they are still following closely, their headlights lighting up most of the inside of the truck. My nerves spike when I think about how they are going to meet Edward.

Today is when my life starts to entwine with his and it makes me nervous. I'm not a hundred percent sure how Alice is going to react to finding out that I'm now with Edward even though I'm nearly positive she already knows. I've never been able to keep anything from her because she always somehow knows everything already.

In fact…

I grab my phone from beside me on the truck bench and quickly dial Alice before putting it on speaker and clipping it to my shirt. It will be better if I tell her now before we get to his place and I have to tell her while she can put her hands on me.

She answers swiftly and everything just comes spilling out.

" _EdwardandIaretogether_! I didn't mean for it to happen and I never cheated on Jake. When I found out about Jake cheating, I went to his place to get away and things just escalated. Next thing I know I'm telling him I love him – because somehow, I do – and we're making out and then…well, I think you can guess. He just makes me so happy and I never felt like this before. I know it's unbelievably soon, but I can't help it. He loves me too and I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. You're my best friend and it killed me not to be able to talk to you about it."

I finally run out of breath and peak in my rearview mirror. I think Alice's eyes meet mine and I'm pretty sure she smirks.

"Dammit," Jasper mutters. I see him shift a little in the driver's seat and reach for his back pocket while Alice tells him to pay up.

"What?" I ask.

"I bet Jasper twenty bucks that you would spill the beans about you and Edward before we got to his place. You always tell me stuff like that over the phone because you have this irrational fear that I'll be physical with you. Maybe slap you around a little for not telling me."

"That's because you _did_ smack me when I told you I thought I was pregnant when I was twenty-one."

"Because you know how to prevent getting pregnant, yet you still put off getting your birth control shot for a month AND you were becoming hysterical with all your screaming. ' _I can't have a baby right now! Jake's too irresponsible!'_."

She mimics me annoyingly well and I scowl at her in the mirror.

"Maybe I did deserve a light smack but you're freakishly strong for someone so little. My face was sore for hours afterward."

"Ugh. You're such a baby when it comes to a little pain. Jasper happens to like a little pain. It can be quite the aphrodisiac in the right way and in the right setting."

I can hear the smirk on her lips.

"Ewww, Alice. I did _not_ need to know that."

Her giggles fill the small space in the truck. When they start to subside, I realize she already knew about me and Edward.

"You knew about Edward?" I ask when it goes quiet.

She takes a deep breath and sighs. "I was ninety percent sure about it. I mean, you ran off to his house and stayed there for three days. You didn't talk to anyone and when I saw you this morning, you had this glow about you. There was life in your eyes. Well, there was life until we went to get your things and you saw Jake.

"But really, it was the way you talked about him the few times we spoke over the phone the past month that really set off my alarm bells. And then there was the way the two of you looked at each other in this one picture in the tabloids. Neither one of you could hide what you were feeling, even if you had no clue at the time."

It's my turn to take a deep breath and sigh. "I think a part of me knew I was falling in love with him, but my stubborn nature didn't let me admit it to myself until Jake was out of the picture."

"That's because you are an intensely loyal person, Bella. You always have been. It's one of the things I love about you."

I bite my lip nervously. "But…what do you think about it? About me and Edward being together?" I ask.

"I think you're a big girl and you know what you're doing. You are a very level headed and practical person and I trust you wouldn't get into a relationship with him unless you were sure about how you felt. However, I will withhold my final judgment until I meet him and see the two of you together."

My cheeks squish my eyes almost completely shut from smiling so big. "Oh, Alice. I think you'll love him. I have a feeling you'll be great friends with him too."

I can hear her eyes rolling from the other car. "We'll see about that." She says. "But seriously, how much longer till we get there?"

"Not long. Maybe another fifteen minutes."

"DAMMIT AGAIN!" Jasper yells.

"What was it this time?" I ask.

"I bet him fifty bucks you would not only tell me before we got there, but that you would do it in the last twenty minutes of the drive."

"You're a freak, Alice Brandon."

"But you love me anyway." She laughs before hanging up the phone.

Pulling up to the front of Edward's home feels wonderful. I feel like I can breathe again when he swings the door open and comes out barefoot and with a smile on his face. Almost all the lights are on inside and outside the house. It feels like this was his way of welcoming me back.

I hop out and he meets me, shutting the door and moving to hug me. He stops at the last second and looks at Alice and Jasper's car idling behind his truck.

"It's okay," I tell him and grab his hand before he can back away. He looks back to me and the softness in his eyes melts my insides. "They know. I told them about us."

His smile blinds me before he pulls me into his arms, hugging me tightly while burying his face in my hair and neck. "How are you doing?" He asks with concern.

"I'm okay." My words are glum, and I choke a little on my breath. I stop the tears before they can slip from my eyes.

I know what I want and there's no use in crying and making Edward worry over me and wonder if I'm second guessing my decision.

He lets me go and his hands slip up to cup my face. He looks into my eyes for a moment before pulling my lips to his in an unbearably sweet kiss. When he pulls back, he sighs with relief and rests his forehead against mine. "I've been worried about you all day. I missed you more than anything else, though."

"Heaven knows I missed you too." I drape my hands over his shoulders and pull him in for another sweet kiss. "I wish you could have come just to hold my hand while I did it."

"Me too."

"But it was something that I needed to do alone, I think."

"Ahem." Alice clears her throat and we pull apart quickly. I drop my arms from his shoulders, and he drops his hands from cupping my face. Thankfully, he just takes my hand instead of letting me go altogether.

I blush as I look at her raised brows. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" Alice bumps Jasper's shoulder with hers and he chokes back a giggle that had started to break free. "Or are you going to ignore us and make-out instead?"

I roll my eyes and huff. "Edward, this is Alice and Jasper."

He gives them a radiant smile as he steps forward and shakes their hands. "It's great to finally meet the two of you. Especially you, Alice. I've heard _so much_ about you."

"I'm sure it was all wonderful, too." She quips with a definite nod.

"Of course." He then turns to Jasper. "And your last name is Whitlock, right?"

"It is," Jasper says, straightening out.

"Are you related to Joseph Whitlock? He's got a great little real estate company that has been steadily growing for the past few years."

Jasper's lips quirk a little. "That's my father. He's been training me to take over for a couple of years now. He's retiring at the end of the year."

Edward looks impressed. "So, you're his son. I've heard nothing but impressive things about the many projects you convinced your father to take on. Those turned out to be pretty lucrative. Especially the Bowers Building."

Jasper looks completely surprised by this. "You've heard of me?"

"It's my business to know about any real estate companies and projects going on in the Northwest. I was actually interested in the Bowers building, but you swooped in there in record time and bought it before I could get my foot in the door."

I stare at Jasper because I've never seen him look so proud of himself. "It was a great deal. We've just finished repurposing each floor into its own rentable office space."

"Come on," Alice says, stepping forward and grabbing my hand while the two men talk. I think they barely notice as she ushers me to the front door. "I've got to pee like a racehorse, and you have to show me where the bathroom is. Holy shit!"

Alice's eyes blow wide as she takes in the back wall. "Is the whole back of the house made of glass?"

I grin and nod. "Wait till you see it during the day. The view is breathtaking." I hear the men enter the house behind us and point Alice in the right direction of the powder room.

Edward's arms snake around my waist from behind. "I was just telling Jasper that it's insane of them to rent a hotel room when they can just stay with us in the guest room tonight."

"I was thinking the same thing." I lean back into him and rest my arms on top of his on my midsection. "But first, we have to get my stuff from the truck. There is a forty percent chance of rain tonight and I don't want to take that chance."

He dips his head and places a kiss on my neck. "Yes, ma'am." He says lowly, his breath tickling the wetness his kiss left behind. I shiver. "I'll do anything you want as long as you crawl in bed with me tonight. Preferably in nothing but one of my t-shirts."

I look over to find Jasper, making sure he can't hear what Edward's saying. Thankfully, he's over by the glass wall while we're still in the foyer area. "I think that's fair enough," I whisper back before turning in his arms and linking my hands behind his neck. "But I think we need to seal the deal with a kiss. You know, just to make it official and legally binding. An exchanging of goods and services."

He growls and smiles, pulling my body completely flush against his. "I'll service your goods all you want."

I roll my eyes and smile. "You know that's not what I meant."

"I do. But the offer still stands anyway."

I giggle a little and then pull him down for a kiss.

* * *

 **One week later…**

"So…" I say, leaning over to Jasper. "Who do you think will win?"

I fidget with the strap of my beaded dress and take a sip of my white wine. Jasper looks dashing in a power suit as high-powered people mill about the ballroom.

It's been a week since I introduced Alice and Edward and the two of them have been playing and bickering with each other like siblings ever since. They're both incredibly competitive but are good sports about it when they lose. I think she reminds him of Maggie a little. She's feisty and Edward has said on more than one occasion that Maggie was a spitfire who didn't take anyone's crap. Plus, Edward is the only one who will play board games with her since she always wins. When he beat her playing Uno – the first time she ever lost that particular game – she looked oddly thrilled about it. To say they absolutely love each other would be accurate.

She's spent the entire week at Edward's while helping me look for an apartment and a new car. When I asked her about her job, she stated she could work from home as long as she had her laptop. Now that the week is up and I've found a place of my own, she's going back home, and she and Edward are finding anything little thing to compete over.

"I don't know," Jasper answers my question. "This is the fifth staring contest they've gotten into tonight. It's the tiebreaker so it could go on a while."

I roll my eyes and groan. "You'd think they were five years old." I look across the room and spot Esme smiling and talking with Aro's wife. "We're at a fundraiser in formal attire. I'd hoped they could act their age for at least a few hours."

"I can hear you." Alice chirps. "We're sitting at the same table."

I laugh. Edward is on my right while Jasper is on my left. Alice is on the other side of Jasper at our round table filled with the heads of the five major departments at Cullen Enterprises. Thankfully, Demetri didn't bring Chelsea. He's sitting directly across from me with a blonde on his arm tonight.

As my best friend and my boyfriend lean further over the table to stare at each other, I notice people are starting to stare themselves. I don't blame them. Alice and Edward have been staring at each other for the last two minutes.

"Babe?" I ask, sliding my hand onto his thigh under the table cloth.

His eyes narrow a little in an effort not to break his stare with Alice at my touch. "Yes, my darling."

"When you're done with your staring contest, I'd like to ask for your help. I dropped a piece of ice from my water glass down my dress." I lean in closer and whisper in his ear. "It's melting and the water is rolling down my skin and getting me _all wet_ under my panties."

That does the trick. His eyes instantly snap to mine. He gives me the most lust-filled look before his features cool. "That was incredibly mean, Isabella. I was going to win."

"You think I was lying?" I ask with an arch of my brow. I trail my fingertips along the top of my cleavage where there is a small trail of water glistening between my breasts. "The ice is caught in my belly button," I whisper and bite my lip.

His eyes immediately home in on the evidence before his eyes turn lustful again. "I think I should take you somewhere so I can help you remedy the situation. There was a room just down the hall, across from the men's room…"

"Edward." Aro appears right behind my boyfriend with Esme on his arm. "Tell your father that he must keep Esme close or I'll steal her away."

Edward's eyes tense momentarily before he smooths his features and stands, turning to face him. "I think Sulpicia might have something to say about that." He gives him a tight smile and kisses his mother on her cheek. "I've barely seen you all night, mother. What have you been up to?"

"I've been in cahoots with Aro's beautiful wife." She says, detaching herself from the older man. "She says that the donations are always better when she has a partner in crime."

"They most certainly are." His slimy voice slides over Edward's shoulder and lands on me, along with his beady eyes. "The more beautiful the woman asking is, the more money rich old men will willingly give." I almost vomit when he winks at me. "It's so wonderful to see you again, beautiful Bella. I'm glad you convinced Edward to come. I was so sad when he declined the invitation to attend this year."

I stand and plaster a smile on my face. "That's because I have a soft spot for homeless veterans. They serve our country for years and the least we can do is help them when they fall on hard times."

"I feel the same way. That's why this charity is my pride and joy." He looks to the rest of the table and smiles. "And you even bought a whole table for Cullen Enterprises."

"Yes, well, Bella was right. This is a very worthy cause." He turns and smiles at me, grabbing my hand.

"Edward, sweetie. Would you mind taking your mother for a spin around the dance floor?" Esme asks, obviously trying to offer a way out of this conversation for her son. She can't stand Aro almost as much as me.

"I'd be glad to." He nods and gives me a peck on the cheek.

Thinking I'd be free from Aro now that Edward was gone, I move to sit back down and chat with Jasper and Alice. Before I can even step back in front of my chair, I feel Aro lightly grab my fingers. "Sweet, Bella. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me for a dance?"

"Actually, I was just about to ask my friend here to dance." I gesture to Jasper over my shoulder. I hear some light movement from Jasper before Aro's eyes land on him.

"I'm sure he won't mind if I take this one dance. The night is still early."

Before anyone can respond, Aro is pulling me to him and guiding me to the dance floor. When he comes to a stop in the middle of the floor, he pulls me close and I have to restrain myself from jerking away from him. Especially after I catch sight of his assistant and mistress, Jane, staring daggers at me from the edge of the dance floor.

"You look absolutely stunning, my dear." He coos, flexing his arm and squeezing me closer to him. I resist as much as I can and settle for a few measly inches of space between our chests. "But that is nothing new."

"Thank you, Aro," I say with a fake smile.

It's quiet for a few moments as he stares at me. When I try to look away, feeling terribly uncomfortable, he says, "I've been wondering about something. Maybe you could help me find the answer I'm looking for."

My brows pinch together in confusion. "Me?"

"How does someone as beautiful and intelligent as you fall into your line of work?"

Feeling horribly confused, I try to answer his question. "A lawyer?" I ask.

He smirks. "No. Your side job."

"Side job?" I shake my head. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Maybe I should ask a different question first." He says, his eyes darting down to my cleavage briefly before back to my eyes. "How long are you staying with Edward?"

"Umm…" I say, still not following. "I suspect for quite a while. Though, I'm not exactly sure why you're asking."

He gives me a slimy grin then. "Well, once your time with him is up, I'd like for you to come stay with me for a while. I have a great apartment set up for my more private affairs."

"Excuse me?"

He tugs me closer and presses his half hard member into me. "Don't be shy, Bella. I know all about your arrangement with Washington's most eligible bachelor. There's no need to be coy. His assistant let a few things slip at my garden party."

I shove away from him as my mind races.

"Don't look so surprised, sweetie. Just tell me how much your fee is for a month. You must be worth whatever it is for Edward to be so smitten." He steps forward and raises his hand up to my cheek. Before his fingers can touch me, I hit his hand away. Anger flashes in his eyes then. "What? Is my money not good enough for you?"

Realization hits me like an eighteen-wheeler.

"I am not a prostitute," I say through clenched teeth. "Whatever Chelsea told you was a lie because she is a disgruntled former employee of Edward's who is obsessed with him and hates me."

He gives me that slimy smile of his. "I don't think so."

"What is going on?" Edward appears by my side and rests his hand on my lower back. His eyes blaze with concern when he sees me on the verge of tears.

Aro steps closer and lowers his voice. "I was just asking Miss. Swan here when her services will be available to me." He winks at me before continuing. "You can't hog her all to yourself, Edward."

Edward looks incredibly confused down to me. All I have to say to him is, "Chelsea spoke to him." His eyes immediately tighten and his whole body tenses. I can see all the pieces click together in rapid succession for him.

When he looks back to Aro, he is vibrating with barely concealed anger. "Whatever you have heard about Bella from Chelsea is a complete lie. She was fired for spreading lies about my private life because she is obsessed with me." He then steps uncomfortably close to Aro and drops his voice low. "And I highly suggest that you apologize to my girlfriend for insinuating that she was a prostitute _before_ I punch you in the face."

I look down and see that both of Edward's fists are clenched tightly by his side.

Aro looks angry but pulls a mask of false sincerity over his features. "It was my mistake, Edward." He then looks to me. It amazes me when I can still see desire in his eyes as he says, "I am terribly sorry I believed the rumors I heard and that I upset you with my… _offer_ , Miss. Swan."

"That wasn't good enough," Edward says lowly and I step to him, resting my hand on his forearm before he can punch the slimy old man.

"Edward. Not here." I say. He looks down to me and I nod to the people surrounding us on the dance floor. They've stopped swaying to the music and are staring at us.

He glances over my head and looks around for a brief moment before looking back at Aro. "Who else have you told about this absurd rumor." He looks like he is about to lie – false innocence pouring from his face - when Edward spits, "Don't lie to me, Aro. I always know when you do."

That is when his carefully place façade breaks. His jaw flexes with anger. "I do not respond well when people speak to me the way you are…"

Edward cuts him off, stepping even closer to him, stopping only inches from his face. "And _I_ don't respond well to people calling my girlfriend a prostitute. Need I remind you I saved your company from bankruptcy last year? I don't think your stockholders would take too kindly to the fact you hid that from them."

The two of them glare at each other for a few incredibly tense moments before Aro concedes. "James Nelson and Don Buchanan."

"You're a fucking disgrace." Edward spits at him before turning to me and grabbing my hand. He pulls me along behind him while I look over to Alice. She must see the panic in my eyes because she immediately stands and follows us out of the room.

After making a few turns down the hallway off the event room, we end up in a small private sitting area. When he turns to me, I finally allow myself to freak out. "How many people in that room back there think I'm a prostitute?!" My voice is pure panic. "Oh my gosh," I say, putting my head in my hands, trying fruitlessly to stop the burning sensation in my eyes.

Edward's arms wrap around me and pull me into his chest. "Baby, I'm going to fix this tonight. Please don't worry."

"How can I not, Edward?" I choke a little on a breath. Alice comes barreling around the corner then.

"What's going on?" she demands.

"I need you to stay here with her. I have to go take care of something."

"Where are you going?" she asks.

He doesn't answer her and tries to pull me away from him. I grab the lapels of his jacket and hold on tighter. "Bella, I'm going to have them pull the car around back. It'll be right out that door in a few minutes." He gets me to let go a little and I see him point to a door in the corner of the room. There is a big exit sign above it. "I promise I won't be long, but you have to let me go so I can take care of this."

"It's too late, Edward. The rumor is already out there."

"And it's not going to go any further. I swear it." There is so much conviction in his voice. I just wish I could believe it. "Money and power can do anything and those are the two things I have in spades."

"Edward, what if they told other people? How do you know that everyone doesn't already think…"

He cuts me off. "I _will_ prevent this vile rumor from going any further. Every ounce of Chelsea's credibility will disappear when I tell them about her history – what she did before I hired her."

"How could they knowing what she did before she worked for you possibly help?" I ask, wiping a tear from under my eye. Alice is now resting her hands on my upper arms behind me, ready to help restrain me when Edward walks away.

"She used to be a maid at a high-end hotel like this one that all those men in there take their mistresses to."

"And…" I ask, cutting him off because I really want him to freak out like me. I feel like he's not as worried about this as he should be.

He keeps speaking as if I hadn't said anything. "Most of the men have a standing reservation there with their own personal key. Their mistresses will meet them in their rooms for a midday fuck and then the men will kick them out. That way, they are never officially seen together.

"Well, Chelsea, she was very well-known by the mistresses for years. For a price, she would collect the discarded condoms from the rooms of these rich pricks and give them to the women who would wait around back." He waits a moment to see if I'm following. "There are quite a few men in that room who now have to pay child support for their illegitimate kids. They had to purchase their wives absurdly expensive gifts to try and buy their forgiveness and pray that they don't take them to court and rake them over the coals in a costly divorce."

"Holy shit," Alice says behind me. "That's really messed up."

"Why would you have hired someone like that?" I ask.

"I didn't know about that when I hired her. I only found out about it after I hired a P.I. to do a background check on her. I had overheard a conversation she was having with a young woman who showed up at the reception desk one day. She was a mistress."

A tiny bit of hope starts to flutter in my chest. Maybe this will be okay.

Edward's hands come up and he gently cups my face. "You see, love. I promise that no one will believe a word she said after I spill her little secret."

"You don't think that anyone would hurt her because of what she did, do you?"

He chuckles a little. "This isn't the mafia, baby. I promise – no, I _swear_ that everything will be okay. No one will ever believe you are what she said you were." He then leans down and whispers in my ear. "Especially after I marry you one day. There will be no question after that."

My heart flutters in my chest. "Please, Edward. Please make it okay. I couldn't show my face in Seattle again if anyone believed it. What if someone told my father?"

"No one is going to tell him because there is nothing to tell. Those men will forget this ever happened by the next time there is another event we have to attend together. Everyone has dealt with disgruntled employees before." He leans down and presses his lips against mine swift and fierce. "I'll be back before you know it. Just wait in the car for me."

"Okay," I say.

"I love you, Bella. I will make this go away."

"I love you, too."

He leaves then. When he disappears around the corner with one last look at me, Alice pounces, unable to hold her questions to herself any longer. Keeping them in while Edward and I talked must have been pure torture for her.

"What the hell is going on?"

"His former assistant, Chelsea. She absolutely hates me – blames me for Edward declining to go out with her and for getting fired. She told everyone at a garden party a couple of weeks ago that I was a high-class prostitute and Edward bought me for the month. I only found out when his business partner, Aro, propositioned me on the dance floor just moments ago."

"Oh. My. Gosh." She says dramatically. "That's crazy!"

"And now everyone in that room thinks I'm a fucking prostitute, Alice. A _prostitute_!"

"You don't know that. Don't freak out until you know the extent of the damage." She hugs me then. "And anyway, it sounds like her credibility is about to be torn to shreds after the story Edward just told."

I squeeze her tighter, nodding in agreement although I don't believe it. At least not yet. "I just really want to get the hell out of here."

She pulls away then and holds me at arm's length. "Then let's go outside and wait for the car to be pulled around." She grabs my hand and leads me to the door in the corner. Once outside, I feel like I can breathe better. There is a slight breeze blowing down the alley between the fancy hotel – where the fundraiser is - and the apartment building in front of me.

When headlights flash from the head of the alley, I look to see Edward's Aston Martin making its way down to me. "That's his car. Go back inside and join Jasper."

"I'll get him, and we'll meet you back at Edward's."

"No, stay," I tell her. "He's making so many business connections tonight. I don't want to ruin that for the two of you."

She smirks at me. "I could also help out. Speak to some of the wives and offer up a new piece of juicy gossip." She winks at me and I laugh once out of obligation.

The valet stops in front of us and jumps out to hand me the keys. "Thank you," I say to him before he jogs off down the alley. "Go, Alice. I'll be fine."

She studies my face for a moment before sighing. "Just promise me that you'll call if you need me."

I roll my eyes but agree to her terms. When she disappears back inside the hotel, I lean against his car and drop my face into my hands. I allow myself to cry for a quick moment before I wipe my eyes and turn to get in the car. Just as I hit the unlock button on the key fob, I hear the door to the hotel open and close.

"How'd it go?" I ask, expecting it to be Edward. When I turn to watch his face when he answers – to see if his eyes will tell me just how bad it is – I am shocked into stillness.

Standing just outside of the closed door is Chelsea. She's wearing a maid's uniform for the hotel. The smirk on her face is wholly unnerving. "We're finally alone, you dirty trailer park skank."

* * *

 _Do you think Edward will be able to stop the rumor from spreading? Also, what about Chelsea's prior hobby? Finally, what do you think Chelsea will do now that she's got Bella alone? I'd love to hear what you think!_

 _Only a few more chapters to go before this baby is wrapped up! Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to **review!**_

 _Lastly, to my TMI readers, I WILL finish A Dark New World the moment I'm done with this story. I haven't forgotten it or abandoned it. Just had a REALLY bad case of writer's block._


	24. Chapter 24

Sorry this update took a while. End of school assignments and finals just about killed me this past month. Thanks SunflowerFran for being my beta! Any mistakes you find are my own.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three

* * *

We stood there for a moment staring at one another. Her eyes were tight with hatred just like mine were.

"If you're done insulting me, I'd like you to answer a question." I had to know why. "What the hell did I ever do to you for you to hate me so much?"

"Edward was _so close_ to giving me a chance. We would be perfect together. If you hadn't come traipsing in like the money hungry cow you are, I'd be the one wearing the fancy dress right now." She gestures to what I'm wearing and takes a few steps towards me. "What makes you so fucking special?"

My anger was mounting the more she spoke. "Well, for one, I'm not a conniving evil bitch who gets paid to trap married men into unwanted pregnancies with their mistresses." Her eyes widen with surprise. I smirk. "Yeah, he told me. He's also telling everyone in that ballroom as well because you just had to spread your vicious lies. He warned you not to do it."

"Edward wouldn't do that." She says as her head shakes. "I had already told Aro about the contract before I saw him at the garden party."

I shrug, not caring one bit. "And that makes what you did okay? It doesn't matter when you told Aro. You lied. Timing has no bearing on it. You're trying to ruin me just because you can't handle the fact that Edward wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole. It's unbelievably pathetic. He. Will. Never. Want. You."

That does it for her.

Pure rage shrouds her pretty face and then she is lunging at me. Her fingers curve like hooks as she shrieks and tries to grab me. Thankfully, my cop dad taught me how to avoid letting anyone get their hands on me.

I step aside and grab one of her wrists, using her own momentum to pull her forward, causing her to lose her balance. She stumbles a few times before falling on her knees on the pavement beside the car.

This enrages her even more. She squeals in a high-pitched growl as she quickly stands, lunging at me again.

This time, I stand my ground and plant my feet. My dad also taught me how to throw a punch.

 _And boy did I ever want to punch her._

I knocked her hands away from me just inches before she scratched my face with her talons. I pulled back and snapped my fist forward, pulling all my strength from my shoulder, and connecting beautifully with her left eye.

Her arms fly up in the air as she falls completely over; moaning and holding her face while rolling on the ground. It's only then I release my stance and shake out my hand. I think I might have fractured a knuckle with the way it was starting to throb.

"Stupid bitch," I mutter at her as I turn around and walk back toward the hotel door. Just when I am about to grab the handle, Edward comes flying outside. "Bella. Were you coming to find me? I'm sorry if I took too long."

"I was coming inside to get some help for _her._ " I gesture over my shoulder at Chelsea still rolling around on the ground moaning.

"Is that Chelsea? What is she doing on the ground?"

"I punched her when she tried to attack me," I say. He looks back at me and grabs my face gently between his hands.

"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" His eyes take a quick evaluation of my body.

I smirk a little. "I'm fine except for my hand. It's throbbing like a son of a bitch after hitting her hard head." I look back over and see she's starting to sit up. "But it's totally worth it."

Edward chuckles briefly before gently taking my hand in his. He looks it over before kissing it softly. "Let me take you to my dad; he's working tonight in the E.R."

"What about her?" I ask when he starts leading me toward his car.

"I'll call the front desk and tell them where to find her."

"You fucking bitch!" Chelsea calls out one last time as I get into the car. She's fumbling around as she tries to stand, still not quite able to find her footing after I rang her bell. When my door is shut, and Edward is running around to the driver's side, she manages to pick up an empty beer can someone threw in the alley and tosses it at the car. It falls a good five feet short.

Edward slips inside and lets out a breathy chuckle at her enraged face. When she starts to run at the car, he slams his foot down on the gas pedal causing the tires to squeal as we speed off.

As we pull out onto the main road, I look over to him. "How did everything go inside with Aro's friends?"

I watch as he takes a deep breath and his jaw flexes before he relaxes. "It went accordingly. When I first approached, they were smirking at me and asked where you were and if they could have a dance." For a moment, I see his fist grip the wheel tightly before he stretches his fingers to relax. "I then explained to them that whatever rumor they heard about you, stemmed from Chelsea, a disgruntled ex-employee. I told them she was a dishonest and conniving person before telling them about her past side activities."

He glances at me then, grabbing my uninjured hand and placing a kiss on it. "Don was pretty angry. Apparently, he has a five-year-old illegitimate child he suspects might have been a product of Chelsea's meddling. After that, they both apologized profusely for believing the rumor."

"Did you ask if they told anyone else?" I asked, voicing my worst fear, knowing gossip that juicy would spread fast.

"I did, and they assured me they hadn't told anyone else." He smiles and shakes his head, a sparkle in his eye. "Not to mention, Alice was chatting up the wives of the two men and telling them all about what she had just heard about Chelsea."

"Really?" I almost scream.

He chuckles at me. "Yes, really. It's actually kind of scary how well she seemed to be selling the story. I could hear _oohs_ and _ahhs_ coming from the wives, along with an occasional gasp."

"Damn. I love that woman." I mutter to myself. I hiss when out of habit, I bring my injured hand up to tuck some hair behind my ear.

"Are you okay, baby?" Edward asks worriedly.

"Yeah," I say unconvincingly. He pushes the gas pedal harder, accelerating as we weave in and out of the late-night, weekend traffic. "It's just throbbing. I can feel my pulse in my fingers."

"Alice should have never left you alone."

I just roll my eyes. "Do you think you should have hired a babysitter or something? I'm actually glad you and Alice did leave me. I got the chance to punch Chelsea in the face. It's something I've wanted to do since the day I walked into your office."

He laughs a little and nods his head. "Would it be wrong of me to say I've wanted to punch her too?"

"Not at all." I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. "It would only be wrong if you did punch her. Now slow down before we're both in need of an E.R. You're driving like a madman; it's only my hand."

Thankfully, he eases off the gas pedal a bit. "Too late. We're already here."

I look up and see the hospital half a block away. "Ugh. I hate hospitals. They take forever."

"I might be able to help with that. I know people."

I roll my eyes again. "I forgot. Your dad."

He laughs at my expression. "Come on." He parks out front and doesn't seem to care that the spot is labeled 'Dr. Brown.'

"Umm…you're not Dr. Brown."

"Did you use your law degree to figure that out?" He giggles. I flip him off, which causes him to laugh fully. "Dr. Brown is usually only here when my dad isn't. They hold the same title and make the schedule to where only one of them is here at a time."

"Still…it says Dr. Brown," I say petulantly.

He gives me a crooked smile. "You are so cute when you make that little face, full of consternation."

I try not to smile and fail miserably.

* * *

When I wake up the next day, Edward is smiling down at me from where he's sitting on the bed. "Morning, love."

"Morning." I yawn and stretch, recoiling quickly when I feel my knuckle groan in protest inside of the brace Carlisle said I had to wear for at least three weeks. "Ouch." I pull my hand into my chest and frown.

"I already made breakfast for you."

"Thanks, babe. You didn't have to get up early just to do that."

"Well I figured your hand would be hurting and Dad said to take the pain medicine he gave you with food."

My heart warms with overwhelming love. "I love you so much, Edward. You're too good to me." I lean up and pull him down to me with my good hand, pressing my lips against his. No open-mouthed kisses will be had until I've brushed my teeth.

"No, I'm not." He says when he pulls back a little. "I'm just treating you how you should be treated. Sometimes I think I could do better."

"Insanity." I pull him back down, landing another kiss on his perfectly full lips.

"But first, there's something I'd like to tell you." Edward sits back up straight. When I see his expression, I pull myself up in the bed and lean against the headboard. "I've been debating whether I should tell you or not. I don't want you to think I'll somehow interfere."

"What are you talking about?"

"The apartment you found? Well, I own it and the rest of the apartments for lease in the building."

My eyes widen, and he holds up his hands. "I didn't have anything to do with anything. I have someone that manages the property for me, and he had no idea who you were. I won't tell him either if you don't want me to. I just thought maybe you would want to know that I owned the building."

I take a second to rein in my thoughts, which are trying to spin out of control. After all, it's not his fault the apartment I chose is owned by him. He didn't suggest for me to look in his building. I found the listing online. It was close to Cullen Enterprises where my new job is. "It's fine, Edward. I know you wouldn't interfere. You know how important it is for me to do this on my own."

"I do know."

I raise my hand and cup his face. "Thanks for telling me."

"Also…I had your vanity fixed. I got a call that it was ready this morning."

"Why are you so wonderful?" I ask, shaking my head at him.

"Because you are so perfect."

"Ugh. You just can't let me win, can you?"

"Win what?" He asks, pecking my lips again.

"You always have to out-compliment me."

"I can't help it." He says, a crooked smile gracing his beautiful face.

I sigh heavily. "I know."

* * *

 **Three months later…**

"Happy Birthday."

"It's not my birthday." I groan as I try to pull the covers over my head. The sun is shining too brightly through my curtains.

"It's the weekend of your birthday. It's close enough." Edward pulls the covers from my head, and I crack one eye to look up at him. The ecstatic smile on his face still knocks the breath out of me, even after all our time together. I'm sure it always will, and I'm more than okay with that. "I want to celebrate your birth all weekend, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

I can't help the chuckle after seeing his triumphantly smug face. "Then go ahead and give it to me." I kick the covers off my naked body and give him my own smug smile when his drops from his face. He swallows roughly as I stretch and then sit up, leaning against my headboard.

"What?" he asks after staring too long.

"I know you probably have some ridiculous present for me not far from your reach. Am I wrong?" I make a show crossing my arms over my chest, squeezing my breasts together.

My method of distraction works. He lunges at me, and I hear something drop to the floor behind him. Before I can ask him what it was, his lips have claimed mine. His tongue isn't far behind, shoving into my mouth and battling with mine.

The boxer briefs he's wearing don't last long after his tongue meets mine. I shove them down his thighs with my feet and push him back till he sits in the middle of my bed. I pull away from his mouth just long enough to straddle him and push his chest until he's lying down. When his erection pulses hard beneath me, I moan in anticipation, dragging my pussy along its length.

Edward's hands fall to my hips, and he grips them possessively. "I like the way you celebrate, Miss. Swan."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." I grin down at him and reach between my legs, grasping his long hard shaft and placing it at my entrance. I tease him for a minute, rubbing his tip along my folds, before swiftly sinking down onto him, impaling myself with his cock.

We both sigh with relief like we always do, and still ourselves for a moment, enjoying the sensation of becoming one. I'm positive I'll never get tired of this moment.

When Edward's hands trail up my sides and cover my breasts, I rock my hips back and forth, causing a glorious groan to come from deep in his throat. "Fuck, baby." He whispers, pinching both my nipples. "You're so good at that."

My fingers on his chest curl and my nails dig into his toned pecs. "Your cock feels so incredible." I close my eyes and give myself to the sensation of him moving inside of me as I undulate my hips. The ridge of his head is rubbing gloriously against my g-spot.

My head falls back as my mouth hangs open. I'm panting faster and faster as I build myself up to that divine high only he can give me. One hand leaves my nipple and slides up my skin and finds my lips. He slides his finger along the opening before shoving it gently into my mouth. I close my lips around it and suck it while bobbing my head back and forth, reminding him of what I do so often with his other appendage that is currently in my pussy.

I look down at him and I'm rewarded with his lust-crazed eyes. Seeing that look from him as he watches his finger slide in and out of my warm, wet mouth, causes my peak to approach faster.

I match my head to my hips and begin to move in sync. I shove him deeper into my hot core over and over again, our bodies slapping together and making a beautiful symphony of sex-made music; the rhythm fast and harsh.

Edward's mouth falls open in pleasure while a loud moaning sound leaves him. He pulls his finger from my mouth. I suppose it's because he was on the verge of coming and he doesn't want to leave me unsatisfied. He's never done that, and it's something he's beyond proud of.

I brace my hands on his chest and lean forward a bit to gain some leverage. A continuous low keening sound leaves me as I lift and pound harder and harder, faster and faster down onto him. "Oh!" I shift my hips just a bit, and it's exactly where I need to be.

"Yes, Bella!" Edward screams. "Come for me. I need you to come _so_ bad."

"Fuck!" I yell out just as my orgasm breaks free inside me and streaks through my body, my toes curling painfully as I shudder.

I ride out each incredible wave of pleasure as Edward grabs my hips and continues to move me on top of him, drawing out my orgasm. Sweat rolls down my temple as a particularly strong wave of pleasure rolls through me and I fall onto his chest, drained.

Edward pulls my face up to his and kisses me passionately before slipping out from under me, whispering that he's not quite done with me. The shudder that courses through me then has nothing to do with the orgasm I'm still coming down from.

My face is pressed into the bed when he grabs my hips from behind, pulling my lower half up onto my knees. I feel his cock press against my ass for a moment before he slides himself inside my soaking wet pussy. My walls are still fluttering lightly, and every time they do, Edward moans so loudly that I'm sure my neighbors can hear.

"Damn, baby. I'm not going to last long." He grits out, speeding up his pace and pounding into me so hard that my teeth rattle.

"More!" I scream at him, my walls fluttering stronger around his cock, signaling I'm about to have another orgasm. I'm so sensitive right now, and every little movement he makes pushes me closer and closer.

He doesn't hold back, and I give into another orgasm that piggy-backed off my first one. This one is almost as intense as the first. Edward pushes deep into me to prevent my walls from forcing him out and grunts his release. His twitching cock fills me with his cum as my pussy pulls every drop from him.

He thrusts weakly into me a few more times as he rides out his orgasm before kissing my back and falling onto the bed beside me. We are still panting as he pulls my back to his chest and places kiss all over my shoulder.

"Now _that_ is the proper way to start my birthday weekend," I say breathily at him. His resounding chuckle and grunt of agreement warms my heart.

We're quiet while we lay on the bed together, letting each other catch our breath. The moment mine returns to normal, he rolls me over and brushes my hair out of my face before kissing me so very sweetly. I can feel his love for me pouring out of him as he does.

I don't know how long we lay there kissing before he pulls back and smiles down at me with shining eyes. "Since I've got you in a good mood now, can I give you your first present without you complaining?"

I roll my eyes and huff. "Fine. But you had better not have gone crazy and spent a fortune." I wag my finger at him and try my best to give him my 'stern' look.

He just laughs at me and kisses the tip of my wagging finger before rolling to the edge of my bed and reaching over the side. When he comes up, he's holding an envelope with a huge smile covering half his face.

I take a deep breath as I take it from him and slide my finger under the flap holding it closed. I pull out the piece of paper inside and after reading the first few lines on the first page, I sit up and suck in a breath of surprised air. Edward sits up too and kisses my naked shoulder again before pointing to the page. "I got this for you and your dad. I know you miss him and I thought you two would enjoy a fishing trip to Frasier River next week."

"Edward." I sigh and look at him with a goofy smile on my face. "It's perfect. Thank you, baby."

"You're very welcome, love."

I lean in and kiss him ardently for a moment before I pull away. "I can't wait to tell him later today!"

"I'm hoping it will help him like me some more. I don't know if I can take his evil eye anymore." He leans away and falls back onto the bed and grips his hair. "If this doesn't do it, I don't know what will."

I bite my lip to stop from laughing at his forlorn face. He's been trying to get into my dad's good graces ever since their first meeting hadn't gone nearly the way he planned. My dad was coming here to Seattle to help me move into my new apartment and wasn't supposed to be here until 10:00 a.m. Edward had shown up at 8:00 with breakfast that quickly turned into him fucking me on top of my kitchen counter, which is right by my outside door.

My screams that day were particularly loud and my mouth especially dirty right along with Edward's. There may have been some talk about him fucking me until I couldn't walk for a week and a mention of how he loved how I sucked his cock the day before in his office.

Unbeknownst to us, my dad had arrived early and heard everything, even my pleading for Edward 'to fill me with his cum.' Thinking it was the neighbors and not us, he had gone to the apartment across the hall. The door opened after a long two minutes of knocking – the tenant had been asleep. That's when he was told that the place he was looking for was where all the screaming and sounds of rough sex were coming from.

To say that my father was _not_ impressed with Edward was a vast understatement. Their first meeting had been a disaster. In all my years with Jake, my father never heard one iota of anything about our sex life. For all he knew, I was still a virgin when we parted ways.

After that, Charlie could barely look at Edward for the rest of the day without turning red with anger. In fact, he can still barely look him in the eyes, although the red-faced anger seems to have ebbed over the past month.

"It's not that he doesn't like you, babe. It's just that when he heard us, it ruined the picture he had in his head of me as this sweet girl who blushed every time someone said the word 'sex' in front of him."

"No, I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me. At all."

I laugh at his little pout and lean in to kiss it. "Come on. Let's get a shower so we can get on the road."

"Is he going to make me sleep in a different room than you?"

I laugh again. "Possibly. Also, I'll make sure to hide his gun from him to make you feel better."

"Yeah, you telling me that doesn't exactly make me feel all fuzzy inside."

I roll out of bed with an amused smile and pull him with me. "Come on. Let's have some shower sex if that will make you feel better."

"Shower sex _always_ makes me feel better."

With a laugh and a roll of my eyes, I hurry off to my bathroom with Edward hot on my heels.

* * *

By the time we pull into my father's driveway, Edward is sweating bullets. "You know, he likes seeing that he makes you nervous. Don't give him that today. You don't act like yourself when we're around him because you're too worried."

"That's because I'm afraid if I touch you, he'll shoot me."

"And here I thought you were supposed to be some sort of hot-shot businessman who was a shark in the boardroom."

"I am. But when faced with the love of my life's cop father, I'm a fumbling fool. He knows how to get away with murder."

I roll my eyes and get out of my new, albeit used, Audi I bought the first week I was at Edward's. I love it after driving my truck for years. The air conditioning during the summer was a luxury I never knew I needed.

I have to practically drag Edward up the steps to the front door before walking in with just a quick knock. "Dad! We're here."

"There's my birthday girl!" Charlie croons as he heaves himself off the couch. I meet him halfway, and he pulls me into a big hug.

"My birthday is tomorrow, Dad."

"I know that." He says indignantly as he lets go and holds me at arm's length, completely ignoring Edward beside me. "But I have to work tomorrow, and if today is all I get to celebrate your birthday, then you're going to let me do it and not complain."

Edward clears his throat and holds out his hand for my dad. "It's good to see you again, Charlie." His voice only waivers slightly when he speaks.

"Uh…you too, Edward." He replies in a clipped tone, shaking his hand once before letting it go and turning his back on him, leading me into the living room. "You can sleep here on the couch or I can set up the air mattress on the floor for you." When I look over my shoulder at Edward and see the dismayed look on his face, I step away from my dad and level my eyes at him.

"Edward," I say before looking over to him. "Can you go grab our bag from my car? I'd like to have a word with my dad in private for a moment."

"Of course." He says with a tight smile before turning and disappearing through the front door.

When I turn back to Charlie, he seems to know what's coming. He squares his shoulders at me in false bravado causing my eyes to turn into little slits. "You have to stop this, dad."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He plops down into his recliner and turns his nose up at me while reaching for the remote to the television.

I'm faster than him, grabbing it just before he does. "I get that you are permanently scarred from hearing him and me having sex that day, but it's not like I was a virgin when I met him. He didn't corrupt me. You can't hold that against him."

He looks up at me and folds his arms over his chest, but thankfully, he doesn't say anything. Maybe it's because he can sense how angry I am.

"Yes, we were having sex." He grimaces, but I don't care. "We have sex multiple times a week. I'm turning twenty-six tomorrow, Dad. I haven't been a virgin since I was eighteen. I'm a grown woman with a college degree and my own place. I'm in a consenting adult relationship with Edward, and I'm incredibly in love with him. In fact…" I make sure he's looking into my eyes as I say this. "I'm going to marry him one day. I know I said that before with Jake…but this is different. _He's_ different. Edward is who I am meant to be with; everything with him and in our relationship is so much _more_ than what it ever was with Jake."

I watch as the stubborn set of his shoulders, and the stern look on his face slowly falls. He heaves out a long sigh as he uncrosses his arms.

"Dad, he's it for me. My forever. That means you need to give him a proper chance. You need to be nice to him and get to know him because he's going to be my husband and the father of your grandchildren."

"But what he said that day, about you…and him…his office…" He struggles as he speaks, his face turning red in embarrassment. "You're my little girl."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Dad. And yes, I did do what Edward said, not that it's any of your business. It wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last. Whether you want to admit it to yourself or not that I'm _that_ person is _your_ issue. Not mine. And certainly not Edward's."

By the look of absolute mortification on Charlie's face, I'd say he's been thoroughly chastised and embarrassed. Heaven knows I didn't want to say all that stuff about mine and Edward's relationship, but it was necessary for him to stop looking at me like I was some virginal school girl. He knew I wasn't one when I was with Jake. The only difference was that he never caught us having sex or even heard of us having sex. That's what makes me think this grudge Charlie has against Edward isn't personal. He wasn't able to have any more plausible deniability when it came to my "virtue."

It takes a long few seconds before Dad looks up at me and gives me a quick nod. "You're right. I'm sorry, Bella. I'll…do my best from now on if he means that much to you. And if you're still so sure about Jake."

I try not to get too angry when he brings Jake up. I have to tell myself it's hard for him to let go of him after eight long years. He loved him like a son. "I'm very sure," I say, looking him dead in the eyes. "And Edward means the universe to me, Dad. He really does. I didn't know I could love someone so much."

"Okay then." He pushes up from his seat and kisses me on my forehead before walking to the front door. He swings it open and calls out to Edward. "Let me get that; I'm sure you're tired from the drive down here. Go sit and I'll take your bags up to her old room. The bed is small, but I'm sure you two can figure it out."

* * *

"Now, I'm not so sure about the gift." I groan as we pull into Newton's Outfitters. The moment I told my dad that Edward had gotten us a fishing trip as a birthday gift to me, he practically pushed me out of the door saying he needed to get some better gear.

"This was where you worked, right?" Edward says, reaching over and unbuckling his seatbelt. I can see my dad is already walking in the store and waving at me to hurry. He insisted I come pick out a new fishing rod for him to buy me for my birthday.

"Yes. Since I was in High School."

"Won't it be nice to see everyone again?" he asks.

"Maybe Mrs. Newton…" I trail off, hoping that Jessica isn't up front as a cashier. She always did know just how to push my buttons.

When Edward's phone rings, I tell him to answer it after seeing a look of concern on his face when he sees who it is. I get out and trudge inside, thanking my lucky stars that Jessica isn't working the register. It's some teenager they probably hired to replace me when I left. I just hope I can drag my dad out of here before shift change in about ten minutes. I don't run into anyone else as I make my way to the back.

That is until I see Jessica asking my father if he needs any help. "No thanks, Miss. Stanley."

There's a pause for a second, and I dip down the aisle next to my Dad's before she sees me. It's too late though because she calls out my name in that super fake voice of hers. "Bella! I can't believe you're here."

I sigh and come around the corner, giving her a tight-lipped smile. "How are you, Jessica?" I ask out of force of habit.

Her eyes twinkle, and she sighs dreamily. "I'm doing great. I started seeing someone about a month ago, and it's been great." She leans in and whispers conspiratorially while I try to lean away, "And the sex is ah-maz-ing."

I half-grimace, half-fake smile at her. I'm trying to figure out why she's trying to be friendly to me when she has never been before. "That poor bastard," I say under my breath as I turn away to Charlie, reaching out and examining a rod. "I like that one, Dad." His eyes drift over to it, and he moves to pick it up.

"In fact," Jessica says loudly, unwillingly gaining my attention again, "he's picking me up in a few minutes. I'm going to make him dinner at his house and…well, _dessert_." She winks, and I shudder with disgust.

"Hey, Dad. I'm going to the next aisle to look for a new tackle box." I almost break into a run trying to escape the evil witch.

I peruse for only a minute before I hear a familiar voice. "Bella, what are you doing back in town?" My nerves spike and my stomach jumps into my throat. I take a deep breath before turning to see Jake.

His hair is a bit longer, and he's wearing a shirt I bought him last year for Christmas. His eyes are full of longing and hope.

"My birthday is tomorrow," I say when he cuts in.

"I know. You'll be twenty-six."

"Yeah. I came to see Charlie." An awkward silence descends on us, then, neither of us knowing what to say. "What are you doing in town? You know, since you live in Port Angeles now?"

He looks down and shuffles his feet for a moment and grips the back of his neck. It's what he always did when he was nervous and afraid of my reaction to what he was about to say.

Instead of answering my question, he changes the subject. "I found another investor for the garage. I've been operational for almost two months now. Business has been pretty good."

"That's great, Jake. Really. I'm happy for you." I smile at him because I truly am happy for him. I've never wished him any ill will.

"Maybe you could stop in some time, take a look at it?" He smiles crookedly at me and hope fills his eyes. "It's just like we said it would be. There's a play area with toys and a spiral slide for the kids while their parents wait for their cars to be finished. Monitors in the waiting room display the status of the work for the clients. There's a small fridge with water and juice boxes for them while they wait."

"That sounds amazing. I'm so glad you kept those ideas." I remember the day I came up with them. Jake and I were talking about having kids in the future.

"I'd really like it if you came by. Say you'll come."

"I…I don't know, Jake." I look away from him and at the tackle boxes, not feeling very comfortable with the look of hope on his face.

"There you are!" Jessica shouts as she comes bouncing around the corner. Jake tenses immediately as defeat swiftly fills his eyes. She grins at me like the Cheshire cat as she reaches up and places a kiss on Jake's lips. She tries to deepen it, but he pulls away, his eyes immediately landing on me.

When Jessica turns to me, she has the smuggest grin on her lips. "That's right; _I'm_ with Jake now. He decided to move on to greener pastures. I guess he got tired of boring Bella."

"Shut up, Jessica." He says to her, jerking his hand from hers.

"Really, Jake?" I ask him, not able to contain my disgust and surprise. "Jessica? You had to choose her? You know how I feel about what she did to me."

"It's just casual, Bella."

Jessica's eyes almost pop from her head at his response. But before she can say a word, I speak first.

"God, I hope so. Heaven forbid you actually have a relationship with the devil's mistress."

Relief floods through me when I see Edward appear at the end of the aisle behind Jake. His eyes immediately land on him and he tenses, squaring his shoulders and speeding up his stride to get to me. I reach out and take his hand as he steps around Jake, lifting my face to his, allowing him to peck me on my lips. "Sorry, that took so long. Crisis at work."

When I look back to _the happy couple_ , Jessica's eyes have widened at Edward and drool is forming at the corner of her mouth. Jake, on the other hand, is straining to contain his building anger. He's staring at Edward with the most loathsome expression.

"It's good to see you, Jake," Edward says diplomatically. "I trust the garage is doing well."

Jake tears his eyes away from Edward and down to me. "Really, Bella? _Him_?"

"This conversation isn't going to go anywhere good, so I'm going to say goodbye," I say, taking Edward's hand in mine. "Good luck with the garage, Jake. And Jessica, fuck off."

I can't help it. There was no way I could have said anything nice or cordial to her. I know the only reason she got with Jake was to hurt me.

 _She's the absolute worst._

I turn as Edward wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into his side. We walk around the corner and find my dad with his ear pressed up against the aisle trying to listen.

The sight of him looking like a gossiping old woman is enough to coax a laugh from me. His cheeks flame in a moment of embarrassment at getting caught before he straightens. "So, you like this one?" he asks and grabs the fishing rod I had pointed out before running off.

"Yeah. I like that one." I lean into Edward's side; grateful he's holding me tight and whispering he loves me in my ear. His words and presence erase any thoughts of Jake and Jessica together from my mind.

I have my happy future in Edward, and that's more than enough for me.

* * *

 _Bella finally got a piece of Chelsea. Woohoo! I had to give Bella her own kind of closure with that situation. Tell me what ya'll thought of everything!_

 _Thanks for reading and don't forget to review and tell me what you think!_

 _JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER!_


	25. Chapter 25

**Thank you so much SunflowerFran for editing for me. Any mistakes are my own because I still tinker...**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Four

* * *

"Happy Birthday."

"What time is it?" I ask, rolling over in my tiny childhood bed and facing Edward. We're snuggled so closely together that every part of me is touching every part of him. This makes me want to get a smaller bed for my apartment.

"It's seven, and it's officially your birthday."

I bury my head in his chest, and he slips his hands under the back of my shirt, gliding his palms up the skin of my back. "I love feeling your skin on mine."

"Ditto." He says, pressing a kiss to my shoulder after sliding my spaghetti strap to the side. "I heard your dad leave an hour ago."

"What time did you want to get back on the road?" I yawn then and get a whiff of my breath. I almost keel over from the smell. Edward definitely won't be getting any open mouth kisses.

"I was hoping soon. There is a place I'd love to stop at on the way back."

"Where?"

"Nope. Not telling you. It's a birthday surprise."

I think about fighting him on this, asking and pleading to know, but I decide not to. I want him to be able to do what he planned for me the way he imagined. So, I'll go along with what he wants today. I always love all his surprises anyway.

"All right. Just let me take a shower, and I'll make us some breakfast."

"No way." He says, sounding horribly offended. "I'll make you breakfast while you shower. I already had one after your dad left."

I hitch my leg up and onto his side. "Just a few more minutes of this," I say, pulling our bodies impossibly closer.

"Whatever you want. After all, it's your birthday."

"And don't you forget it."

He laughs. "I love you so much."

"Almost as much as I love you."

* * *

"I'm surprised you're not asking me where we're going more insistently," Edward says, reaching over and taking my hand. He brings it to his lips while his other hand holds the wheel to my car and navigates the winding road up the mountain.

I smile. "I decided a long time ago that I like seeing you happy. Surprising me makes you happy. I don't want to ruin it by being a brat and whining because I don't like not knowing what's about to happen." I grin at his raised eyebrows. "In other words, I've decided to just go with the flow because I know I'll love whatever you have planned."

"That's it. Where is Bella and what have you done with her?"

I laugh at his accusatory brow lift just as we pull up to a gate with a supervised booth. One solitary man steps out and unlocks the gate and swings it open for us. Edward gives him a nod and a small wave as we drive through. That's when I notice a sign stating that we are now entering a national park.

"Where are all the people?" I ask as I look around, seeing no one else and no other cars.

Edward smirks. "I might know a senator that may or may not have shut the park down today for maintenance."

My eyes widen immediately. "Edward!" I turn in my seat to look at him fully. "What did you do?"

"I wanted to take you to this beautiful waterfall, but there are always so many people around, and I'm a selfish bastard. I wanted to have you all to myself so…"

"You had them shut down the park?"

"The senator owed me a favor."

"That's insane, Edward."

"I wouldn't say that. Over the top…maybe. But you are _so_ worth it."

When he turns to look at me, my heart stutters in my chest. The emotion pouring from his soulful green eyes is staggering, and now all I can think about is how much I love this man next to me.

Sometimes I love him so much it physically hurts. It's like a human body wasn't made to be able to hold the amount of love I have for him. It feels like it's trying to crush me from the inside because it's ever-growing and all-consuming. If I had a superpower, it would be loving Edward more than any person loved anyone else in the universe.

When he looks away and back to the deserted road, I grip his hand tightly and bring it to my lips. Only a few minutes pass before we pull up to a parking lot with a path at one end leading into the thick forest.

"There will be about ten minutes of hiking to get there." He tells me as we get out. He walks to the trunk and pulls out a large wicker picnic basket and the blanket that he keeps on the back of the couch at his place.

My smile is huge when I look up to him. "Where did you get that?" I ask. "It wasn't in there yesterday."

"I might have had it delivered this morning."

I roll my eyes and mutter, "This rich bastard…always spoiling me."

He laughs heartily at me and kisses me swiftly on my lips before nodding for me to lead the way. Nine minutes later, I hear roaring water. Two minutes after that and I am running to the end of the path just up ahead. I can see a large, crescent-shaped field up ahead and mist from the waterfall. When I finally make it past all the trees, I look up and see one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.

The waterfall careens off a rocky cliff fifteen to twenty stories high and plunges crystal clear water into an oval-shaped pool below. The water then flows into a stream filled with small boulders. My presence scares off two bluebirds and a tiny rabbit near the head of the stream that had come to drink its water. "Wow."

"The first time I came here, I swore I wouldn't come back until I was happy again."

I turn and look at him. He's looking at the waterfall, but his eyes are distant as I wait for him to elaborate.

He takes a long, purposeful breath before continuing. "I came here a few months after Maggie died. I was really struggling to move on, barely living, just going through the motions of life. I got in my truck and just drove, stumbling upon the park and then here. I stared at the waterfall for hours, leaning against a tree and crying. All I could think about was how Maggie would never get to see this place because Emmett and I got drunk at a stupid high school party."

He looks down at the grass, and I move to his side, taking the basket from him and setting it down before sliding my hand into his. It had been so hard for him to tell me about the night Maggie died and why his mom was out so late with her sleeping in the back seat. Edward and Emmett had gotten really drunk and when the party got broken up by the kid's parent's coming home, they had to call Esme to come get them. Since Carlisle was working in the hospital that night, Maggie had to go with her. He blamed himself for a long time for her death. I think a part of him always will to some extent.

"When a beautiful purple butterfly landed on my shirt, right over my heart, I knew it was her. She had been a purple butterfly the Halloween before she was killed. It stayed there for almost thirty minutes while I pulled myself together. She wouldn't have wanted me to be miserable the rest of my life the way I was when I got here. I made up my mind then that I would make something of myself for her; do good deeds in her name like she would have done when she grew up. I promised her I would make the world a better place and do my best to prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else."

I wipe away the few tears that roll down my cheeks and reach up to cup his face. When his eyes meet mine, I see such peace in them. "You did. You did all of those things."

"I've tried my best."

"And you've succeeded." I rise up on my toes and kiss him slowly, his hands sliding up my arms and tangling in my hair. He sighs and pulls back after a long while, pecking my lips three times before wiping away a lone tear on his cheek.

"You made me whole again, Bella. You were the final missing piece to my happiness. You healed every wound that was still aching. Now that I have you, I'm so deliriously happy and fulfilled that I barely know which way is up."

I chuckle a quick breathy laugh and beam up at him. "I feel the same way."

He kisses me sweetly again before letting me go. We grab our stuff as he takes my hand and leads me to the middle of the field before spreading out the blanket. It's the perfect spot to be. I can see each beautiful detail of everything surrounding us; including Edward, who is carefully spreading out our lunch. Fruit and cheese with my favorite white wine.

I sink down next to him and tuck myself into his side once he's done. As we eat in near silence, I can't help but think how perfect this is. He couldn't have picked anything for us to do that would make me happier than I am right now. No fancy restaurant, no expensive and shiny gift, no absurd amount of money could compare to sitting here with him in solitude, surrounded by such natural beauty. Although I know it must have cost a fortune – probably in campaign donations – to get the park to ourselves, he knew what would make me the happiest on my birthday. And the best part is, it's the same thing that makes Edward happy. We are one and the same.

"What are you thinking about right now?" he asks, leaning forward and kissing my neck.

"How perfect this gift is." I turn and face him, pushing him down to lie on the blanket. "And trying to figure out the best way to show you how thankful I am."

He smiles mischievously up at me as I straddle him. "Miss. Swan, whatever are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I need to make love to you right now. I don't think I can stand another second where my skin isn't touching yours. I need to be one with you."

He grabs my hips and flips us over swiftly until I'm on my back and he's hovering above me. "I love you so incredibly much." He whispers just before his mouth covers mine.

Our clothes are gone not long after, and when the length of his body lies along mine, I feel so complete. His left hand slides up my side softly and palms my right breast. My moans are engulfed by his mouth as our tongues dance with each other. I hitch my right leg up and hook it over his left hip, pulling his length into my lower stomach. We both groan when I press even harder into him after he pinches my nipple.

"Edward…" I sigh, failing to find the words to tell him that I need him inside of me. The look in his stormy green eyes is everything as he lines up and presses into me. There is such pure, untainted love pouring from both of us as he begins to move.

My legs fall open wider allowing him in as far as he can go, his hips pushing against the backs of my upper thighs while I pull at him, needing his lips touching me.

His motions are slow and purposeful. Long, kneading strokes from his large erection build me up slowly and powerfully, showing me how much he loves me as he worships my body. When I finally do fall over that cliff, shaking apart around him and squeezing him until he growls with pleasure, he whispers his love for me in my ear before he finishes, thrusting and grunting his release inside of me.

We kiss slowly for a long time before he pulls out and lies beside me, both of us on our sides and facing each other. His fingers trail lightly along my face and over my lips before gliding down my arm and the rest of me. My eyes can't help but close at the feel of his reverent touch.

When his hand is coming back up, he suddenly stops halfway up my arm. My eyes open and follow his surprised ones where they are trained on my upper arm.

I gasp.

There, perched on my shoulder, is the most beautiful purple butterfly.

"Edward," I whisper in awe.

"Marry me, Bella."

I gasp again, my head whipping back to him in utter surprise, thinking I heard him wrong. When I see the look in his eyes when they meet mine, I know I heard him right.

"I love you more than I could ever imagine. I want to spend the rest of my life and yours showing you just how much. Even if we get to spend eighty years together, it still won't be long enough. Marry me and be my wife."

We've only been together three months but…that doesn't matter. What I've known since the day I met him does.

 _He's my soulmate; my perfect match._

Tears roll freely from my eyes even though I have the most brilliant smile on my face. "Yes. I'll marry you."

He lets out a relieved breath as the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face transforms him. He looks like an angel with his perfect features as peace and happiness seem to pour from every pore of his body.

We lunge for each other, our mouths connecting for the most passionate kiss of my life. It's not long until we are both giggling and smiling like madmen and have to pull back, resting our heads together.

"I love you, Isabella."

"I love you, too, Edward."

When he grabs my left hand and somehow produces a ring in his right one, I once again gasp. "Edward," I whisper in shock.

It's stunning. Just one solitaire diamond with a delicate platinum band encrusted with tiny flecks of diamonds. While it is on the larger side, it's not abhorrently so. It's simple and understated… "It's so beautiful; so perfect."

When he slides it onto my ring finger, we both have tears in our eyes. "I've had this since the weekend after you came back." He says to me. "I knew then, just like I know now that you're the only one for me."

When he leans in for another kiss, I attack him and push him down onto the blanket. When I see my hand on his chest, my ring glistening in the late summer sun, I realize this is what my heaven is. I'm his, and he is mine, and soon the whole world will know it. Bliss is the only thing I feel at this moment.

I love him, and the need I have for him to know it in every way possible consumes my being.

We spend the rest of the day making love and planning our future, starting with me moving in with him when my lease is up in three months, although I know I probably won't last that long. I'll book a moving truck for next weekend. We'll have at least two kids and one dog after our small wedding right here in this field. Only close family and friends will attend the tight-knit affair.

When the sun sets, and we are back on the road, both of us unable to stop smiling – Edward constantly looking at my hand and beaming – I think about how I 've never felt happier or been more at peace than I am wearing his ring.

 _Bella Cullen_.

"Today was perfect," I tell him.

"Yes, it was." He agrees, kissing my newly-ornamented ring finger. "Happy Birthday, baby."

"Best birthday ever," I say, leaning across the car and kissing him as we pull up to the gate at the driveway.

"Welcome home, Mrs. soon-to-be Cullen."

"I love the sound of that."

"Me too."

I can't take my eyes off him as he leisurely navigates the winding driveway and think that I'm the luckiest woman in the world to have his love. Like he said earlier, no amount of time with him will ever be enough. All I can do is try to show him with whatever time I have left on this earth.

Starting with tonight.

"Come on," I tell him as I pull on his arm after the car is parked in the garage, biting my lip while my eyes smolder at him. "I'm not done with you yet. I'll never be done."

He growls and lunges at me. I giggle wildly as he chases me into the bedroom where we will spend some of the happiest moments of our lives.

* * *

 _I'm truly sorry about the long wait since the last update. Two weeks after I posted the last chapter, I slipped down the stairs into the pool at my mother's house. When I tried to catch myself, I broke my left wrist pretty bad. I've had two surgeries since then and am still on the mend. Typing with one hand is so incredibly infuriating for me because it takes me forever. I can use one finger on my left hand and that's it as of now. All I can say is thank goodness I'm right-handed._

 _Only the epilogue is left! I had originally planned to have it as part of this chapter but it was taking too long to type. Lol! I hope to have it out to y'all soon. Till then, let me know your thoughts and don't forget to **follow me and review**! Thanks for taking the time to read my story. It truly means the world to me._


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